Although Islamists have been dislodged from territory they previously controlled, the legacy of their 2012 takeover has been a more radicalised society that is even less hospitable to Christians than it was before – especially those who have converted to Christianity from Islam. Despite a 2015 peace deal with the government, Islamists continue to pose a threat to Christians (most of whom live in the south), especially in parts of the country that are not controlled by the state. Several Christian missionaries have been kidnapped for ransom in recent years.
Colombian nun kidnapped in southern Mali
Children play by a bullet-riddled police station in Gao, Mali. August 28, 2013.UN Photo / Marco Dormino A Colombian nun was kidnapped by armed men last night (7 Feb) in southern Mali, a relatively safe part of the country, which has been mainly unaffected by Islamist attacks. Gloria Argoti […]
UPDATE: 1 year on, new video of kidnapped Swiss missionary in Mali
World Watch Monitor UPDATE (11 Jan. 2017): A video released by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) on Tuesday (10 Jan) shows a new proof of life of the Swiss missionary Beatrice Stockly, held captive in Mali. The 2’17” video shows a woman – her head covered by a black […]
Murder of Fulani Christian mayor in Mali increases concerns over creeping Islamic extremism
The motive behind the murder of a Fulani Christian politician in Mali last month remains unknown, but locals suspect an Islamist agenda. Moussa Issah Bary, the 47-year-old deputy mayor of Kerana (near the Burkina Faso border), was shot dead by six unidentified men on motorbikes on 16 November. He is […]
Swiss missionary kidnapped in Mali ‘still alive’
Beatrice Stockly, left, in Timbuktu 2000. She was first kidnapped in 2012World Watch Monitor UPDATE (17 June): Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has released a video, purporting to show that a Swiss nun kidnapped in Mali in January is alive and in good health. The three-minute video, posted on […]
Three killed outside ‘Christian’ radio station in Mali
The main entrance to Tahanint radio station in Timbuktu, Mali.World Watch Monitor Three men were killed when an unidentified gunman opened fire outside a Christian radio station in Mali last night (17 December). Hamar Oumar Dicko and Samuel Dicko worked for the station; Abdal Malick Ag Alher was a […]
Mali’s mausoleums rebuilt, but not churches
Fourteen mausoleums in the city of Timbuktu in northern Mali have been rebuilt, three years after they were destroyed by Islamist extremists. The reconstruction was overseen by Unesco. For most of 2012, armed Islamist groups ruled the region, banning the practice of other religions and desecrating and looting churches and other […]
Tuareg Islamists refuse to sign peace deal
The boycotting of a peace deal by Mali’s main Tuareg rebel group leaves in doubt the likelihood of bringing security to the country after years of chaos and violence. The Algerian foreign minister who helped mediate the deal, said on Friday that Mali’s government, allied armed groups and two groups […]
As UN targeted by Islamists in Mali, Bishops urge renewed peace efforts
The UN Mission in Mali honors nine Nigerien peacekeepers killed on 3 October 2014.UN Photo/Marco Dormino While the world’s attention is fixed on IS in Syria and Iraq, it’s easy to forget that last year, French troops were rushed to Mali to prevent a jihadist-influenced coup that threatened to […]
Islamists want to ‘wipe out’ Christian presence in northern Mali
It’s not only in the Middle East that the advance of Islamist jihadists is exercising the international community. While attention has been focused on northern Iraq and Syria, the French government has been bombing Islamist militant positions in Africa to stop the emergence of jihadists in the Sahel. Now on […]
Renewed fighting in Mali revives Christian anxieties
A Malian child waits to see receive a free consultation at a medical clinic in Gao, Mali.16 May 2014UN Photo/Marco Dormino Renewed fighting and re-occupation of a number of towns in northern Mali by armed Tuareg groups has renewed anxieties among the region’s Christian minority. On May 21, a […]