Nigeria/DRC (MNN) — Extremists in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have been busy. Reports are still coming out of both countries about attacks on Christians from Holy Week.

However, the attacks in these two countries are both so frequent and so deadly, hardly anyone is paying attention anymore.

Greg Kelley with World Mission says, “It reminds me actually of the original missionaries in Africa [and] where the [Muslim] Fulani people group came. Hundreds of years ago they came through the influence of the Middle East. As they launched their attacks as jihadists across Africa, they took one region after another and just conquered these minority groups which…a lot of them were Christian at the time.

Treasure audio Bible distribution in DRC. (Photo courtesy of World Mission)

“Now you have a presence of the Fulani scattered across 15 countries from the far corners of West Africa all the way over into the eastern parts of Nigeria and Niger…. They’re kind of resurrecting some of these issues that happened hundreds of years ago. It’s traumatic to see but it’s radical Islam at the end of the day.”

During the days leading up to Easter, nearly 100 Christians were killed in northern Nigeria by Muslim extremists. In one attack on a Palm Sunday service, the pastor and several worshippers were kidnapped.

In the eastern DRC, at least 69 Christians were killed in three separate attacks last month.

“How do you go on offense? We send the Word of God in there,” says Kelley. “The Bible societies have translated the languages we’re talking about in the Democratic Republic of Congo [and] all throughout Nigeria; all those languages have Bibles. The Body of Christ needs to deploy those! The Word of God is what is going to set the captives free.”

World Mission is distributing their solar-powered audio Bibles called Treasures in both countries. You can support this ministry here.

Meanwhile, two things to pray for: A soft heart for the persecuted Church and changed hearts for the persecutors.

 

Header photo courtesy of James Wiseman via Unsplash.