Growing attacks on Mozambican Christians

"In recent years," radical Islamists have killed nearly 3,000 people and displaced more than 800,000 Christians, the Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) said in a report. One of the focal points of this crisis is Cabo Delgado, where the Christian population has grown to 40% since 2017. The Voice of the Martyrs Organization points to the increasing conversion among Muslims.
The terrorists are members of the Sunnis and Jamaat, the remnants of an extremist group from Tanzania known as the "Followers of the Prophet Muhammad Sunnah." The group initially targeted police and government buildings, but after allegiance to the Islamic State in 2019, began targeting Christians and entire cities. Among the locals, the group is known as al-Shabab, but is not affiliated with Somali Islamists.

Among the cities attacked is the port city of Musimboa on the Indian Ocean coast, once home to 120,000 people who have been devastated and largely abandoned since 2019.

In its 2022, Open Doors ranked Mozambique as the 45th most dangerous country for Christians. 54% of Mozambique's 32.3 million population are Christian. Open Doors has said that Mozambique, which is constitutionally recognized as a secular country with religious freedom. However, the persecution of Christians in the northern province of Cabo Delgado is more severe due to the violent attacks carried out by ISIL-affiliated extremists in the province. This is the first time this country is on the list of 50 countries where Christians are most persecuted and endangered.

_{Source and Credit: Christian News Now}