Cameroon

Churches Struggle to Cope as Refugees Flee Neighbouring Nigeria

2 minutes read
The United Nations camp for Nigerian
refugees in northern Cameroon
Photo: World Watch Monitor

Thousands of Nigerians, many of them Christians, have fled their home country for northern Cameroon in the wake of ongoing violence by the Islamist militant group, Boko Haram. Yet, even beyond the borders of their homeland, these Nigerian believers are far from safe. In the village of Cherif Moussary, an assault from militants left a church ransacked and the residence of the pastor burned down. Many of the Christian families were also stripped of virtually all their possessions. A similar act of destruction was reported at Mouldougoua village. At Assighassia, which was occupied for days by militants before the army arrived, two church elders were beheaded. Meanwhile, in Djibrilli village, a pastor was kidnapped, threatened and asked about his faith by militants before being released the following day.

In the midst of these gruesome attacks, churches in Cameroon are working to assist both Nigerian refugees and internally displaced people (IDP). "The action of our churches has initially consisted of providing the refugees and IDPs with food, shelter and medicines. But now, the capacity of our churches is overwhelmed, as their number has increased up to threefold," a church leader explained of the situation. "Every week we welcome new waves of refugees coming from all sides. More than 9,600 displaced people were recorded in two weeks. Some are welcomed within church compounds and others in the UN...refugee camp."

Despite the current overwhelming needs in Cameroon and Nigeria, let us come with boldness while petitioning our omnipotent God, asking that He make a way to protect and provide for His suffering children. In particular, pray that He will equip the church in Cameroon to address the tremendous physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the refugees and displaced persons now in their care. May Cameroonian believers encourage the faith of those who are struggling as a result of the horrors they have endured, while also serving as a witness to those who have yet to embrace Christ as Lord. Please also pray for lasting peace in Nigeria and Cameroon, so the atrocious acts of violence that have been taking place within these areas will soon cease.

To learn more about Boko Haram and the threat this militant group poses to Christians, visit our Nigeria Country Report.

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Cameroon News

  • Christians Trapped in the Midst of Conflict
    Boko Haram - Photo: Voice of America
    Boko Haram members

    As the West African nation of Cameroon faces conflict on two fronts, Christians are finding themselves trapped in the middle.

    In northern Cameroon, the government has been fighting to stop the insurgence of Boko Haram terrorists who are moving south from Nigeria. In the process, members of the notorious group were raiding and pillaging villages throughout the area, forcing many Christians to flee for their lives. Numerous reports have been heard of pastors being attacked and killed by the militant Islamic group. Issues with Boko Haram also affect other neighbouring countries, including Chad and Niger.

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  • Boko Haram Terrorists Set Buildings Ablaze
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    Internally displaced children in
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    Photo: World Watch Monitor

    Residents of Roum village, in the Far North Region of Cameroon, were abruptly awoken on the night of January 16th as blazing fires engulfed two churches and numerous homes in their village community. Boko Haram militants, who had stormed the village late that night, has claimed responsibility for the attack, in which four villagers were killed.

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  • Boko Haram Attacks Involving Children
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    Photo: World Watch Monitor

    After a period of relative calm, the Far North region of Cameroon, along the Nigerian border, has witnessed an upsurge of attacks by Boko Haram. On August 17th, a church elder was killed in a night raid carried out by the militant Islamic group on Moskota village. Adamu Nguda, formerly a church elder in Mouldougwa, had been previously displaced to live as an "internally displaced person" in Moskota. Adamu's killers also kidnapped his six children -- who are between the ages of three and 15 -- leaving his wife behind in a state of total shock.

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  • Increased Violence Against Christians

    Two Christian brothers, Ushahemba and Sughter Kumashenge, were ambushed and killed by Fulani militants on Saturday, August 22nd. The incident occurred on their farm in Taraba state, lending to concerns that militants in Nigeria's middle belt -- consisting of Kaduna, Taraba, Benue and Nasarawa states -- are joining forces with jihadists for the specific purpose of driving out Christians.

    Over the summer, the violent attacks had intensified throughout northern Nigeria and its neighbouring country of Cameroon, causing some Christians in affected areas to refrain from attending church. On Saturday, July 25th, a 12-year-old girl detonated a suicide bomb within a crowded area in Maroua, northern Cameroon, killing 20 people and injuring 79 others. The following Friday, July 31st, six people died and eleven were injured in a massive bomb explosion at a market in Maiduguri, Nigeria -- the traditional heartland of the Nigerian violence.

    Churches in Cameroon are presently struggling to contain the influx of approximately 60,000 Nigerian refugees and thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs). "The level of attendance has also fallen in various churches," explains Rev. Samuel Heteck, President of the Protestant Churches' Council in Northern Cameroon. "We have observed a lack of concentration among some worshippers during recent services as their ears remain attentive to any movement outside."

    Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari visited Cameroon at the end of July in order to bolster collaborative efforts against the notorious Boko Haram terrorist group. Fortunately, the Nigerian military reported on August 2nd that they had rescued 178 people, including 101 children, all of whom had been taken captive by Boko Haram in the Nigerian state of Borno. To learn more about persecution in Nigeria, click here.

    In the aftermath of recent attacks, we ask the Lord to minister healing to all who were injured and provide comfort to those who are now mourning the loss of loved ones. May He also calm the violence in these affected regions and alleviate mounting fears. As religious and political leaders make difficult decisions in their efforts to resolve the country's crisis, pray for God to grant them wisdom and clear direction so that all those whom they govern may be able to live "peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness" (1 Timothy 2:2).

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