Burkina Faso: Islamist attack on Christian centers

The Aid to the Church in Need charity announced on Friday that the St. Kisito de Bougui educational center in Burkina Faso had been attacked by Islamic extremists.

The attack, which took place on the night of February 10, did not cause any casualties, but left a lot of financial losses.

St. Kisito de Bougui Center is located 5 miles east of Fada N’gourma. Seven coaches and 146 young students live there.

 The attackers stayed at the school for an hour in the late evening of February 10 and destroyed the school.

They set fire to a dormitory, a classroom and a vehicle, and another car was stolen.

One of the residents allegedly shouted "We do not want to see the cross" and warned school residents that they would be killed if they did not leave.

Students are now forced to leave the area and return to their families.

Burkina Faso, located in West Africa, has seen an increase in Islamist violence in recent years.

A coup took place in the country last month, and the new president has stressed the importance of restoring security.

Several churches were attacked in 2019, and last year the body of a missing priest was found in the forest.

Bishop Justin Kintga said in December 2019 that the attacks on the church were part of a radical Islamist effort to "provoke interfaith conflict in a country where Christians and Muslims have always lived together peacefully."

About %60 of Burkina Faso is Muslim, %23 is Christian (most of whom are Catholic), and %15 follow traditional indigenous beliefs.

 

_{Source and Credit: ACN, ARABNEWS}