24 KILLED IN CHURCH ATTACK IN BURKINA FASO
According to persecution ministry Voice of the Martyrs Korea, on February 16th in the Burkina Faso village of Pansi, gunmen killed 24 people and left at least 18 wounded when they attacked a church service. When they entered the church, the gunmen separated the locals from the non-residents and then separated the men from the women. They then killed several of the local men--including the church pastor.
After setting the church building on fire, the perpetrators looted local shops and forced three kidnapped youths to transport stolen goods. Villagers fled to the nearby town of Sebba for safety, but militants had attacked this town as well.
Voice of the Martyrs Korea representative Hyun Sook Foley explains that earlier in February, other incidents of violence occurred in the same area. Militant Islamic extremists are suspected in all of the attacks.
“Pastor Tindano Omar and five of his family members were forced from their home in Sebba on February 10th,”
representative Foley explains.
A village in Burkina Faso.
“Before this abduction, a church deacon had been murdered, and it was his car that had subsequently been used to kidnap the pastor’s family.”
The bodies of Pastor Tindano, his son, and two nephews were found three days later. Fortunately, the pastor’s two daughters were released unharmed.
“We’re seeing an upsurge of violence in northern Burkina Faso,”
representative Foley says.
“In 2014, a revolution left a power vacuum that extremist groups are trying to fill. Many jihadists are using political affiliation or religion as justification for murder.”
Map of Burkina Faso
According to Foley, over 1,300 civilians were targeted last year alone.
“This is more than seven times the total number of civilians targeted in 2018,”
representative Foley says.
“Please pray for your brothers and sisters in Burkina Faso,”
representative Foley adds.
“Pray that the authorities will be able to thwart any further attacks and protect their civilians. Please intercede for the attackers as well, asking God to reveal to them his truths. May they see the compassion of Christ reflected in the countenance of his people so that they, too, may acknowledge their need for God’s mercy, forgiveness, and salvation.”
Churches and individuals interested in making a donation to help persecuted Christians around the world can do so according to the methods listed on the VOMK website at www.vomkorea.com/donate.