International Christian Concern (ICC) released a report calling attention to the increasing persecution Christians face in Africa, particularly in Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Kenya.
The comprehensive report, called “Troubling Trends: Escalating Persecution of Christians in Africa,” describes incidents of attacks, murders, abductions and displacements of Christians in Africa during the first quarter of 2025 while examining the surge of targeted slaughters throughout the years.
Nigerian Christians live in the seventh-worst nation for persecution, according to Open Doors’ World Watch List 2025. Christians are targeted by Islamist militants, such as Fulani herdsmen and terror groups Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). From July 2009 to March 2022, 45,644 Christians were targeted and killed. In 2023, the death toll was an estimate of 7,000.
Among the persecution stories reported is a Palm Sunday attack in which Fulani extremists killed at least 54 Christians, which included children, in their homes. The entire village was displaced.
The report also detailed the increase of persecution in DRC, caused primarily by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an ISIS affiliate group. From 2024 to 2025, the country’s rank shifted from the 41st worst country in which Christians face violence to the 35th. Among the atrocities recorded is a Feb. 12 attack in which ADF beheaded 70 Christians in a church, including women and children.
Kenya has also reportedly seen an increase of persecution against Christians, particularly in the Northeast where 90% of the population consists of Muslim Somalis, who severely persecute those who convert from Islam to Christianity.
The Voice of the Martyrs reports that in the Northeast, “Christian missionaries from other parts of Kenya and converts from Islam are often attacked and have been killed,” churches’ activities in these regions “are severely limited by the local communities,” and that “local governments in resistant areas are led by Muslim officials who do little to protect the rights of believers.”
In Kenya, the group al-Shabab, the primary perpetrator of targeted attacks against Christians, was placed on the Entities of Particular Concern list. Such an entity is a non-state, non-sovereign group that violates religious freedom severely and “exercises significant political power and territorial control; is outside the control of a sovereign government; and often employs violence in pursuit of its objectives.”
The report states that neither Nigeria nor DCR are designated by the U.S. State Department as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), a nation in which citizens face “systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom.”
U.S. officials have been urged to put Nigeria back on the list. Rep. Christopher Smith (R-New Jersey) introduced House Resolution 220 on March 11. If passed, Nigeria would be designated as a CPC. As the House Committee on Foreign Affairs reviews the resolution, the report calls believers to pray for Nigerian Christians and urges Christians in the U.S. to “contact your U.S. Representative and urge them to support H. Res. 220.”
In light of the June report, ICC President Jeff King took the opportunity to encourage Christians across the world to support African believers.
“The Church in Africa is facing some of the most severe challenges of our time,” King said. “We must not look away. These are our brothers and sisters.”
Earlier this year, King also addressed the rise of persecution in Africa and offered ways to support African believers.
“First, follow the issue,” King said. “Understand what’s happening so you can be an advocate. Call your elected officials. Demand action.”
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