A Closer Look: African countries top the list of hardest places to be Christian

(ANALYSIS) NAIROBI—With 19 countries out of the total 50 listed, Africa tops the ranking of countries where Christians face the most persecution, according to a recent Open Doors report. 

Although the reclusive state of North Korea leads the pack— for the 20th year in a row—The World Watch List 2021 shows that in many African countries, believers fear openly exercising their faith.

Graphic by Stuart C. Strother. Data from Open Doors.

Ranking third worldwide, Somalia tops Africa for persecution of Christians. “From a population of over 16 million, it’s estimated that there are only a few hundred Christians in Somalia. It’s very hard to know, given the secrecy they are forced into,” the report says. 

It’s illegal to publicly admit your Christian faith in Somalia, so “church life” is non-existent. Islam is considered a crucial part of Somali identity, and if any Somali is suspected of having converted to Christianity, they are in great danger. Members of their family, clan or community will harass, intimidate or even kill them.  “Women may be raped and forcibly married” for converting to Christianity, the report says.

With almost half of Eritreans being Christians – 2.6 million from a population of 5.4 million – some may assume that the believers there have it easy. However, Christians who aren’t from state-approved denominations face extreme persecution, according to the report.

“Christians from non-traditional denominations face the harshest persecution in Eritrea, both from the government and from the Eritrean Orthodox Church (EOC),” the report says. The EOC is the only Christian denomination recognized by the government and is tightly controlled by those in power. “Many Christians are held in inhumane prisons because of their faith, and their loved ones often do not know where they are or even if they are still alive.”

Nigeria is the continent’s economic powerhouse, but unfortunately “more Christians are murdered for their faith in Nigeria than in any other country,” according to the report. Nigeria ranks ninth worldwide on the list, a worsening position from 12th last year.

READ: At Least 5 Dead After Boko Haram Attacks Nigerian Christian Community

Violent attacks by Boko Haram, Fulani militants, ISWAP (an affiliate of the Islamic State) and other Islamic extremist groups are common in the north and middle belt of the country, and are becoming more common further south, the report explains:

“In these attacks, Christians are often murdered or have their property and means of livelihood destroyed. Men and boys are particularly vulnerable to being killed, with the intention of lowering the birth rate of Christian communities and removing their sources of income. Perpetrators are seldom brought to justice. Christian women are often abducted and raped by these militant groups, and sometimes forced to marry Muslims.” 

READ: Nigeria Is A Killing Field Of Defenseless Christians

Though Sudan has taken significant steps towards religious freedom in the past year, including a commitment to end 30 years of Islamic law, Christians from a Muslim background still face extreme persecution from their families and communities. These believers no longer face the death penalty for leaving Islam, but may be attacked, ostracized or otherwise discriminated against if their faith is discovered. Church buildings are often attacked or even demolished. The country is ranked 13th. 

The Maldives are a popular honeymoon destination for many parts of the world. However, the pristine beaches hide the persecution that the Christian minority in the islands face. Open Doors lists it at position 15.

“The close-knit, homogeneous community keeps close watch on each other for any sign of deviation – which naturally includes religious choice,” the report says. “All politicians relentlessly claim that they are keeping the Maldives 100% Muslim, leaving effectively no space for any alternative. Conversion to Christianity can result in harassment, violence or imprisonment. Women could also be forced to marry a Muslim to lure them back to Islam. Vigilante mobs have been known to abduct citizens suspected of being irreligious or non-Muslim.”

Egypt follows closely at position 16 and here the 16.3 million Christians, comprising almost 16% of the population, mostly face persecution at the community level, especially in Upper Egypt where Salafist movements exert a strong influence on the rural communities with high levels of illiteracy and poverty. 

READ: Are Egypt's Christians persecuted? Why some Copts say no

Although it is almost impossible for Christians in Mauritania to express their faith, the Sahel nation extends the persecution to foreigners too. “Openly expressing the Christian faith is even risky for foreign nationals, as it could be regarded as an attempt to convert others to Christianity, which can lead to prosecution,” the report says. Mauritania is ranked 20th.

In Algeria (24th), the majority of Christians are converts from Islam. They are the religious minority most at risk of persecution, not just from their family and extended family, but from the wider community. This can involve harassment, beatings, threats and imprisonment, as well as pressure to adhere to Islamic customs. 

A similar fate befalls Christians in Tunisia (26th) where Christians who’ve converted from Islam are most vulnerable to persecution – often from their own family members and surrounding society. This is especially true in the country’s conservative southern regions. 

In Morocco (27th) Christian converts face opposition from family members who do not want them to practice their new faith publicly. Often, this means new Christians are not allowed to be baptized, married or buried in a church or Christian ceremony. Particularly in rural areas, these followers of Jesus also face significant hostility from their local community and government. 

At position 28, Mali has witnessed churches being burned down and Christians forced to flee when Islamic extremist groups took control of the northern part of the country in 2012. “The displacement that happened still affects Christians who lost their homes and whose churches were destroyed. Although some Christians and congregations have returned to the north under police protection, they still live under the threat of attack by Islamic militants.” 

Open Doors estimates there are over a million internally displaced people in Burkina Faso, and many are Christians. Extremist attacks have driven followers of Jesus from their homes and villages, with many being forced into refugee camps. Open Doors partners in Burkina Faso report there are no open churches in parts of northeastern Burkina Faso.    

The Central African Republic has seen near-constant conflict and fighting since 2013. Much of the country is occupied by various armed militia groups, who are responsible for a range of human rights abuses. Many of these groups – whether Islamic extremist or otherwise – specifically target Christians, so life is constantly uncertain for believers in areas under militia control.

Almost 60% of Ethiopians are Christian – that’s 67.5 million people. Sadly, though, many Ethiopian Christians are persecuted by fellow Christians, if they belong to a different denomination.

READ: Ethiopia’s Increasing Vulnerability To Islamic Extremism And What That Means For The Horn Of Africa

An enormous percentage of the population of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are Christians – 85.1 million from a population of 89.5 million – but soaring violence is one of the reasons it’s now in the World Watch List Top 50.

In the north of Cameroon, Islamic extremist group Boko Haram is active and has kidnapped and killed Christians for their faith. Female converts from Islam are often forced into marriage with non-Christians, and Christian women also face the danger of abduction by Boko Haram.

Attacks from Islamic extremists and the presence of drug cartels in some areas have all contributed to increasing persecution in Mozambique. Christians face extreme violence in the northern part of the country, where many have been forced to flee their homes. Islamic extremists have looted and destroyed many Christian places of worship, Christian schools and businesses owned by believers. Christian aid workers have also been targeted. 

Although Christianity is the majority religion in Kenya, that hasn’t stopped the spread of persecution. Christians living in and around the north-eastern part of the country must live with the fear that they can be targeted by Islamic extremist groups like al-Shabaab at any time. Particularly, Christians from a Muslim background in the north east and coastal regions live under constant threat of attack—even from their closest relatives. 

Finally, Christians in Comoros are not able to share their faith freely in public. If they do, they face legal consequences. In some parts of the country, extremist groups threaten Christians with violence.  Evangelism by any religion except Islam is illegal, and converts to Christianity can be prosecuted. Converts from a Muslim background face the most severe difficulties. They are often pressured to keep their faith private – leaving them no option but to live out their faith in secret.

Read the full Open Doors report and country pages here.

Tom Osanjo is a Nairobi-based correspondent for Religion Unplugged. He is a former parliamentary reporter and has covered sports, politics and more for Kenya’s Daily Nation newspaper.