Nigeria and Cameroon: Increasing violence
The violence of Boko Haram in the diocese of Maidguri (northern Nigeria) is increasing daily. News agency Fides stated October 7, 2014, that 185 churches had been burned down and over 190,000 persons forced to flee. The local bishop, Bp. Oliver Dashe Doeme, sent out a message of distress on Facebook on October 12: “We are truly living in a time of grave persecution.”
Father Obiora Francis Ike, a Nigerian priest visiting Switzerland, told Apic on October 12th that Boko Haram’s aim is to “establish an Islamic Sharia State. They want to Islamize everthing and impose an Islamic caliphate.” If its territorial control is still limited to the northern areas of the country, nonetheless “the movement is capable of committing terrorist acts throughout all Nigeria.:
Cameroon, adjacent to Nigeria, is also affected by the terrorists. Brother Fabio Mussi of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions was interviewed by Fides on October 12th and spoke of “a silent war,” with repeated attacks by Boko Haram. The Cameroonian army has been obliged to spread itself out the full length of the border to prevent razzias. The brother said, “The Church is the only institution left to offer humanitarian aid to refugees and evacuees. International organizations have withdrawn for security reasons.” Today, “the population is afraid,” although two years ago even “Cameroon was considered to be an island of happiness in an unstable region. Now fear of Moslems is prevalent among non-Moslems. It is fair to think that Boko Haram has support from within the Cameroonian Islamic community.”
(Sources: kipa-apic.ch – Fides – DICI no. 303, 24/10/14)
For further reading :
Nigeria: Boko Haram dangerously gaining ground
Nigeria: Almost All the Churches of the Diocese of Maiduguri Have Been Destroyed
Nigeria : Ten Christians slaughtered
Nigeria: New attack on a Catholic church
Nigeria: Dialogue to Fight against Terrorism
Nigeria: start of “ethnic and religious cleansing”
