In recent years, the impact of Islamist militants in the country has been expanding, making their influence felt even in cities that had previously been beyond their reach. This has particularly been the case for the “Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims” (JNIM). Christians have been targeted and killed, and churches have been destroyed. Similar attacks in Niger, Mali and the greater Sahel region are making the situation in Burkina Faso very serious. Christians have been targeted in villages, churches and workplaces. Hundreds of churches have been closed due to jihadist activities. Family and community members reject converts and try to force them to renounce their Christian faith, making them afraid to express their faith in public because of such threats. The scope for religious freedom for Christians is contracting as jihadist ideologies gain traction and expand within the broader community. Christians from a Muslim background are the most persecuted Christian group in the country.
