Pray: 200+ killed in Burkina Faso violence

In October, at least 200 civilians were killed in eastern Burkina Faso. Islamic extremists first attacked a military patrol and returned the next day, carrying out a brutal assault on the local market in Manni village. According to Open Doors field partners, this area is home to a large Catholic community.

The series of attacks started on October 5, when a military patrol was ambushed, resulting in the deaths of 17 soldiers. The next day the violence continued when the armed men attacked the local market in Manni village.

“The terrorists first hit the local market where many inhabitants had gathered after Mass,” reports news agency Agenzia Fides. “Then they went into the houses and shops to kill those who had taken refuge there, and set fire on them, burning the victims alive. The next day they returned, setting fire on cars, shooting at medical [personnel] and other individuals.”

The Association for Catholic Information in Africa reports that the militants returned on October 7 to attack medical staff attending to the wounded and kill those who were being treated in the hospital. On October 8, they returned again to kill all the men in the village.

Open Doors local sources share that Manni village had been a refuge for many people—including believers—who had already fled the violence. Any survivors in Manni have left the village, including all remaining Christians.

“Given the continued instability, we are coordinating with local contacts to locate internally displaced persons (IDPs) who fled Manni and surrounding villages,” shared the Open Doors Field Lead for the work in West Africa. Relief support, which was initially planned for internally displaced Christians in the surrounding region, has been put on hold.

Burkina Faso continues to be an incredibly violent place for followers of Christ. In August, the Islamic militant group Jama’t Nusrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM)—which has links to Al Qaeda—attacked the inhabitants of the remote town of Barsalogho. Initial estimates indicated that between 300 and 400 people—mostly civilians—were killed. However, recent reports put the death toll as high as 600 people. At least 28 of the victims were Christians.

The next day on August 25, another group affiliated with JNIM attacked the Church of Christian Alliance in the village of Kounla. The assailants targeted Christian households, forcing the men into the church before executing 30 of them. Field sources say 27 of the victims were Christians in that attack.

Our field teams continue to monitor the situation and seek other ways to provide support displaced and affected Christians. These shocking incidents are just a few of the many impacting followers of Christ across sub-Saharan Africa. It remains the most violent place in the world for Christians. According to Open Doors’ World Watch List research, more than 4,500 Christians were killed for their faith from October 2022 to September 2023. Additionally, the World Watch List team currently estimates there are 16.2 million Christians displaced in sub-Saharan Africa—many of them forced to flee because of their faith in Jesus.

This crisis is why Open Doors has partnered with the African church for the multi-year Arise Africa campaign. The goal is to stop the violence, and to start the healing—to equip the African church to be a resilient witness for Christ. You can pray and add your voice by clicking here .

In the meantime, please pray for the latest victims of violence in Burkina Faso. Ask God to bind up their wounds, bring peace and help healing begin.