A new report from International Christian Concern (ICC) has revealed a disturbing rise in violence against Christians across parts of Africa, with Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Kenya experiencing a surge in attacks, abductions, massacres and forced displacements.
The report, titled "Troubling Trends: Escalating Persecution of Christians in Africa," was written by Linda Burkle and focuses on the first four months of 2025, while also tracing violent trends within the past two decades.
Nigeria continues to be the deadliest country in the world for Christians. The West African nation ranks seventh on the 2025 World Watch List by Open Doors, which tracks persecution globally.
The ICC reports notes that between July 2009 and March 2022, more than 45,000 Christians were murdered by extremist groups such as Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and Fulani militants.
In 2022 alone, around 5,000 Christians were killed in Nigeria - more than in the rest of the world combined.
From 2015 to 2020, an estimated 11,000 to 12,000 Christians were murdered by Islamist militants, and over 2,000 churches were demolished. In 2021, some 3,800 Christians were abducted.
Regardless of the political change following President Bola Tinubu’s rise to power in 2023, the violence has continued, with 7,000 deaths estimated in 2023 alone.
Tinubu, a Muslim, had pledged to lead a more balanced and inclusive administration. However, his government has struggled to curb Islamist attacks, particularly in Nigeria’s northern and central regions, where Sharia law is in effect and Christians are highly vulnerable.
The report also details numerous violent incidents from 2025.
One of the most horrifying attacks occurred on Palm Sunday, when Fulani extremists stormed a village and slaughtered no fewer than 54 Christians, including children, inside their own homes, forcing the entire community to flee.
In March, Boko Haram killed Catholic priest Sylvester Okechukwu in Kaduna State, while another attack in Kebbi State left 11 Christians dead.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the situation is also growing more severe.
The country, once ranked 41st on the Open Doors World Watch List, rose to 35th in 2025 following a spike in violence against Christians, largely driven by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a terrorist group aligned with ISIS.
In February, ADF militants beheaded 70 Christians, including women and children, during a church service.
The violence has displaced millions in the eastern provinces of North Kivu and Ituri.
A March attack in Kirindera village left no less than 19 people dead and several buildings, including a clinic and hotel, burned to the ground.
Another assault in January saw 53 Christians killed in the towns of Makoko and Masakuki.
The report blames a combination of militant threats - including attacks by the M23 rebel group, family pressure against religious conversion, and political interference for creating a dangerously unstable environment for Christians in eastern Congo.
Kenya, while not traditionally at the centre of persecution reports, has seen increasing violence in its northeastern regions.
These provinces, where Muslim Somalis make up the vast majority, are considered hostile ground for Christians, with church activity severely restricted by local communities and government officials often turning a blind eye.
Converts risk their lives, often facing attacks from their own families or neighbours.
The Somali-based terrorist group, Al-Shabab, now classified an “entity of particular concern” by the US State Department and the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, has carried out numerous bombings and assassinations in coastal and northeastern Kenya.
The group particularly targets converts from Islam and missionaries.
Areas frequently targeted by attacks include Mombasa, Garissa, Mandera, and Lamu, where many believers have been forced to flee inland.
The Voice of the Martyrs reports that Christians in these areas face violent threats, social isolation, and pressure to return to Islam.
The attacks on converts often come from their own families or neighbours.
Adding to the growing threats, Kenya has also seen cross-border activity from the Oromo Liberation Army, a group operating out of Ethiopia that kidnapped two South Korean Christian missionaries, including two South Korean missionaries in 2024.
Corruption among local officials and the spread of radical ideologies have worsened the plight of believers.
Despite the severity of the crisis, neither Nigeria nor the DRC currently carry the US State Department’s “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) categorisation.
In response, on March 11, Representative Christopher Smith of New Jersey put forward House Resolution 220. The resolution is now under review by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
ICC President Jeff King urged Christians worldwide to pay close attention to the situation in Africa.
“The Church in Africa is facing some of the most severe challenges of our time," he said.
“We must not look away. These are our brothers and sisters.”
He also called for advocacy and political engagement, encouraging believers in democratic countries to contact their elected officials and push for international action.
