The violence against Christians across sub-Saharan Africa is driving a serious displacement crisis. By the end of 2023, a staggering 16,2 million Christians across sub-Saharan Africa had been forcibly displaced from their homes and off their land by persecution. This escalation has been triggered by the presence of jihadist groups active in an increasing number of countries. Furthermore, nine out of every 10 Christians killed for their faith are in Africa.
In 2024, the second year of Open Doors International’s multi-year Arise Africa campaign, the spotlight falls on the displacement crisis in sub-Saharan Africa. Christians who have been forced from their homes and land because of their faith in Jesus are living in unbearable conditions in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Many violent incidents
The overall trend shows that the persecution of Christians and violence against them has risen at an alarming rate in sub-Saharan Africa.
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During the past year, several shocking incidents of persecution and displacement in sub-Saharan Africa reached the news headlines, including some horrific events in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, the Central African Republic, Mali, Mozambique, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Sudan and other countries. Two incidents in Nigeria and Burkina Faso, where hundreds of people paid with their lives for their Christian faith, overshadowed the news during the past week.
Militants from groups such as Fulani, Boko Haram, al-Shabaab and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) conduct raids on Christian communities, killing, maiming, raping and kidnapping for ransom or sexual slavery. More than 82% of Christians killed across the globe for faith reasons were in Nigeria, and faith-related killings in sub-Saharan Africa far outstripped those of any other region on the annual list.
Report on displacement
Open Doors International has recently released an in-depth report on the issue of displacement, No road home: Christian IDPs displaced by extremist violence in Nigeria. The report, which was compiled in conjunction with the International Institute for Religious Freedom (IIRF) and the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), contains extensive research to explore how religious affiliation shaped the experiences of internally displaced Christians in some of the most affected regions of Nigeria.
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Existing evidence paints a complex picture of the causes of displacement – factors such as poverty, environmental issues, ethnicity and food scarcity also interconnect with ongoing violence and religious extremism.
Key findings
Extremist violence across parts of Nigeria over the last decade has resulted in mass displacement of Christian communities. In the northern state of Borno, where Islamic militants thrive and target Christians, and in Plateau state, where Fulani militant violence results in uprooted Christian communities, the problem is unrelenting.
Although violence has affected both Christians and non-Christians, recorded testimonies indicate that Boko Haram, Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) and militant Fulani groups have deliberately targeted Christians or Christian communities, their livelihood, faith leaders and places of worship for killing, abduction and the destruction of churches.
IDPs from Christian communities in both Borno and Plateau states also reported land grabbing, which included attackers remaining on the land belonging to the displaced. Their attackers are still an active threat to displaced Christians, and their lands remain destroyed, occupied or unprotected by security forces.
A grim picture
Nigeria is among the top 10 IDP-hosting countries across the world. It is also currently sixth on the Open Doors World Watch List (WWL 2024), a ranking that indicates the presence of acute levels of religious persecution and discrimination for Christians.
Borno and Plateau States in Nigeria are two regions with considerable IDP populations yet distinct dynamics of violence. A total of 292 people were interviewed from January to April 2024, as identified by local partners. Interviewees were primarily IDPs, with some workers from humanitarian agencies also interviewed. The research focussed on the Gwoza and Ngala local government areas (LGAs) in Borno State, and the Bassa and Mangu LGAs in Plateau State.
In 2023, there were 3,4 million IDPs in Nigeria. About 82% of the IDPs in Plateau State are living among host communities. Some construct informal IDP camps, and a minority live in government-run camps. This pattern changes slightly in Borno state – by April 2024, 58% of displaced households were in camps or camp-like settings.
Living conditions in camps
In both Borno and Plateau States, living conditions in IDP camps are a serious concern. Issues such as inadequate shelter, overcrowding, a lack of food and water, being unable to earn a living, forced recruitment into extremist groups, and challenges accessing medical care, education, skills training and wash facilities were cited.
IDPs can be unwanted in the places where they seek shelter and these “safe” places can come under attack, including the risk of gender-based violence. When living outside formal camps, IDPs can struggle to receive government support and find it more challenging to access humanitarian assistance, such as in Benue State.
Beyond Nigeria
Across sub-Saharan Africa, forced displacement is a considerable challenge in multiple countries where there are vulnerable Christian communities. For example, Cameroon hosts over 1 million IDPs and Burkina Faso over 2 million. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) hosts over 6 million IDPs and Sudan over 9 million.
Each of these countries is in the 2024 WWL top 50 countries, indicating the presence of Christian communities who experience very high or extreme levels of discrimination and persecution on the basis of their faith. With Islamic militancy spreading more widely in the region, evolving and emerging conflicts such as in Sudan and targeted violence against Christians already being reported, Nigeria is not alone in the displacement-related challenges it faces.
The scale and length of displacement has been considerable. By December 2023, a total of 1 711 481 IDPs were hosted in Borno State alone. Borno hosts 74% of IDPs in the northeast region of Nigeria. Of the 1,7 million in Borno, 74% were displaced before 2021, illustrating how many IDPs have been dealing with the harsh realities of displacement settings for many years. A further 68% of IDPs have been displaced two or more times.
Shocking figures
A total of 54 457 IDPs were hosted in Plateau State by December 2023. However, local agencies such as the Mwaghavul Development Association (MDA) reported significantly higher numbers of IDPs. For example, MDA documented 103 000 IDPs in Mangu LGA alone in January 2024.
The need for humanitarian aid and support is severe. According to one IDP, there is a scarcity of food because their crops were destroyed by Fulani. “The food from the ground is not enough. There are also disease and trauma issues. We thank God for some Christian organisations that have come to do trauma healing. There is no protection against diseases in the environment where the people live in the camps. The IDPs need food, clothing and products.”
In Mangu LGA, 51 131,69 hectares of farmland and crops were destroyed between April 2023 and January 2024. In Bassa LGA, over 448 farms were recorded as destroyed between 2018 and 2023.
Stop the violence, start the healing
According to Lynette Leibach, director of Open Doors Southern Africa, the No Road Home research report highlights the vulnerability of Christians amidst a humanitarian crisis in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa. “From being overlooked in aid efforts to being specifically targeted by extremists, the situation is dire. It is crucial that we are aware of the situation on our continent and take action through the Arise Africa campaign to stop the violence and start the healing,” she said.
Open Doors appeals to people across the world to sign their global petition to call for Christians and other vulnerable individuals in sub-Saharan Africa to be treated with dignity and respect by providing robust protection from violent militant attacks, ensuring justice through fair prosecutions of the attackers and ensuring restoration to bring healing to affected communities.
Amka Afrika prayer event, Tree of Prayer and Justice and exhibition
A sculpture of a camphor tree, named the Tree of Prayer and Justice, was made by a 33-year-old Nigerian artist, Asiegbu Collins. The camphor tree is the national tree of Nigeria and the symbol of the Arise Africa campaign. The tree will travel to Open Doors bases around the world.
Open Doors will also host a special Amka Afrika (which is the Swahili for Arise Africa) prayer event at Rosebank Union Church on Saturday September 14 from 10am to 12pm. This event, which is free and open to the public, is an opportunity for people to come together in prayer for the persecuted Church in sub-Saharan Africa and for the displacement crisis among Christians. Manga, a persecuted Christian from Nigeria, will share his powerful testimony. The first 100 people who register on the Open Doors website (www.opendoors.org.za) and attend the event will each get a free goodie bag and coffee voucher.
In addition, a special exhibition that depicts the realities of persecution in sub-Sahara Africa and life in a displacement camp will be on display at the venue from September 11 to 15. After walking through the exhibition, people can write down their prayers and sign the petition.
More information
Visit www.opendoors.org.za for more information about the displacement crisis in sub-Saharan Africa and the Arise Africa campaign.
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