Christians account for only around 5% of Senegal’s population, and have lived among their nearly unanimously Muslim neighbours without incident for generations. Senegal’s first president, who held office from 1960-80, was a Christian. The country is regarded as a model of stability and democracy in Africa. Still, the government worries about the influence of militant Islamist insurgencies in the region; it moved to ban women from wearing full-face veils, and in 2015 arrested several imams accused of having ties to jihadist groups. There have been occasional reports of mobs targeting evangelical Christians, who are seen as encroaching on the identity of this almost entirely Islamic nation. (Photo: jbdodane via Flickr; CC 2.0)
Brazilians’ ordeal in Senegal prison over, but legal challenges remain
Two Brazilian missionaries held in a Senegal jail without charge for five months were released on bail this month, yet still face accusations they operated youth programs without permits. Jose Dilson Da Silva is a missionary with the Brazilian Presbyterian Church in the Senegalese capital Dakar. Zeneide Moreira Novais, who […]