Cameroon

How are Christians persecuted in Cameroon?

• Believers face pressure and threats from extremist Islamist groups like Boko Haram, especially in the northern regions. In these areas, such groups abduct Christians, destroy churches and force many communities to flee.

• “The Muslims do their trade, live well, get married and do as they wish. But us Christians, we can’t, unless we flee from here,” says Adam from Cameroon, who was kidnapped by Boko Haram. “Today, we flee to one village, tomorrow to another. To date, we are on the run. We are not certain about the places we can live.”
• Converts from a Muslim background experience greater rejection for abandoning Islam – even owning a Bible can provoke violence and attacks against them.
• Those who speak out against corrupt practices are vulnerable to intimidation or arrest, and many churches have been closed for criticising the regime.
• Women are targeted and exploited by extremist militants – some of the treatment they may experience are forced marriage, sexual slavery and even being used as suicide bombers.
• Women who are married converts run the risks of divorce, the loss of child custody and disinheritance.
• Boko Haram and separatist militants abduct men for conscription into armed groups or torture, and church leaders are often amongst those who experience this abuse.

Why are Christians persecuted in Cameroon?

• Islamist extremism is spreading across Cameroon, augmenting the climate of fear already felt by many.
• “They say, ‘If the militants kill us, it’s fine. If they don’t kill us, it is also fine.’ They have no hope anymore. I go there and encourage them with the Word of God. I’ll not let them down. I am responsible for them. I can’t leave them,” says Pastor Hamza*, church leader to people in the Far North of Cameroon.
• Political instability is exposing Christians to greater violence and often state authority is complicit in the mistreatment of believers. Inaction on behalf of the government in the face of clan-based or extremist aggression is feeding an atmosphere of fear and silence amongst Christian leadership.

Who is particularly vulnerable in Cameroon?

• The Far North of the country is terrorised by Islamist extremist factions such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), forcing many believers to flee or hide their faith.
• Across the country, converts from Islam face the greatest hatred and rejection for choosing to follow Jesus, arising from family and community.

What has changed in Cameroon in the past year?

• Cameroon rose by six spots in the past year largely because of increased pressures in national life.
• Churches continue to be targeted without signs of improvement. The climate of fear and silence is worsening, becoming an existential threat for Christians and deterring them from practising their faith openly.

How can I help Christians in Cameroon?

Please continue to pray for believers in Cameroon. Your prayers are helping them to hold fast to Jesus, no matter the cost.

Auristine received help from Open Doors partners, and says: “I am able to see the women fulfilled and ready to face persecution if it arises here in Garoua. I thank you very much for the training, the follow-ups, the support, and I pray that the Lord will repay you a hundredfold.”

Open Doors partners serve Christians in Cameroon through persecution survival training, biblical discipleship training and socio-economic aid.