Media release: Deadly attacks on Christians in Mozambique
The ministry organisation Open Doors Africa, which strengthens and supports persecuted Christians, was shocked by the latest deadly series of attacks on Christians in Napala Village, Mozambique. A total of 20 Christians were killed, about 2 000 displaced, 1 300 homes destroyed and two churches burnt down during the attacks on this predominantly Christian village.
The group commonly known as al-Shabab (Ahlu Sunnah wa Jama’ah, or ASWJ) launched a series of attacks on Napala Village on 9-12 October. Napala Village, a town in the Chiúre district of Cabo Delgado Province, northern Mozambique, was severely destroyed by the ASWJ insurgents.
Military aid withdrawn
According to a local pastor (name withheld for security reasons), the situation quickly deteriorated when the Mozambican Defence and Security Forces withdrew from fighting the insurgents. “Everything got worse when the Defence and Security Forces tried to intervene without success. When they fled, they left everything worse for those people,” the pastor told local Open Doors partners.
An anonymous community leader also confirmed the events, sharing: “Since the military were already in confrontation with terrorists, after they retreated, al-Shabab continued with great fury and attacks which caused all houses to be destroyed.”
Another pastor, whose name also can’t be shared for security reasons, said: “We lament the sad death of four elderly sisters who were tied up and burnt inside a house by insurgents.”
After the attacks, some villagers tried to return to see if anything could be salvaged – only to find the village empty, burnt-out buildings and two church buildings in ruin.
Wave of displacements
The Chiúre district has experienced several violent attacks this year. According to ReliefWeb, “the mass arrival of people, predominantly into Chiúre town, took place between 24 July and 3 August, following a series of attacks by non-state armed groups.
“This was the largest wave of sudden displacements since early 2024 in the province, where an estimated 425 000 people are internally displaced, according to the International Organisation for Migration.”
Stark warning from ISIS
Considering al-Shabab’s alleged links to the Islamic State (ISIS), Open Doors was also alarmed by the following warning to Christians in Africa that was published by ISIS in a weekly newsletter earlier this month: “If the Christians of Africa wish to be safe and escape the cycle of killing, they should know that Islam grants them the ‘freedom’ to choose between three options. First: Islam – thus becoming our brothers in iman (faith), with the same rights and duties. Second: Paying the jizya (poll tax) in humiliation and submission – thereby preserving their blood and living securely in their villages. And third: If they refuse both Islam and the jizya – then death and expulsion, which they have been experiencing and suffering for years.”
“The editorial praises the group’s ‘jihad’ involving the targeting and killing of Christians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Mozambique, while inciting ISIS adherents in Europe to ‘exact’ what it calls a divine verdict against Christians in their own regions,” reported MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor on 7 October.
For the Open Doors ministry, there are several take-aways from this ISIS declaration:
- Confirmation of the intent against Christians in Africa generally, as stated repeatedly in the Open Doors and Africa Evangelical Alliance Arise Africa campaign, a multi-year campaign against the persecution of Christians in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Confirmation of the religious agenda to the insurgencies in Mozambique and the DRC, specifically.
- The need for continued prayer for Christians on the frontlines in Africa, facing a brutal level of intimidation, blatant targeting and accompanying disruption.
According to Lynette Leibach, executive director of Open Doors Africa, the violent onslaught and intent to desolate the Church in Africa is clear. “It is playing out across sub-Saharan Africa. Representatives from the persecuted Church signed a declaration in Lomé, Togo, in September 2023, requesting action from governments, the Church in sub-Saharan Africa, the global Christian Church and the international community.
“How many more incidents of destruction will occur before notice is taken? On behalf of our family of faith on the frontline, Open Doors’ call to the Christian Church in South Africa and the region is to take this situation seriously, courageously speak out, come to their aid and stand with them. The Arise Africa campaign to ‘Stop the violence, start the healing’ is a key opportunity to do this,” she says.
More information
For any questions or to arrange an interview, please contact Elizabeth Botha, Open Doors’ media officer, at [email protected], (+27) 83 227 8164 or (+27) 11 888 9341.
Open Doors Africa is part of the Open Doors International ministry, which serves persecuted Christians in over 70 countries across the world by delivering Bibles and Christian literature, visiting persecuted Christians, providing discipleship and training, and speaking out and raising awareness through advocacy.
Media release issued by Elizabeth Botha
Media officer: Open Doors Africa
Tel: (+27) 83 227 8164 / (+27) 11 888 9341
E-mail: [email protected]