Burkina Faso: parishes closed after 'explosion' of Islamist terrorism
(Photo: Getty/iStock)Some parishes in Burkina Faso have been attacked so badly that they have been forced to close down, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has warned.
The Catholic charity said that the Diocese of Fada N'Gourma, in eastern Burkina Faso, is facing a "dire situation" after an "explosion" of Islamist terrorism.
It has reported an increase in robberies, kidnappings and murders across the diocese, where 95 per cent of villages no longer have any parish priest because of the number of terror attacks.
According to ACN figures, 155 out of 532 villages in the diocese were accessible for pastoral work in September 2021. By April this year, that number had fallen to just 29.
Five of the diocese's 16 parishes have been forced to close because of attacks. In seven parishes, the ministry of the main church has been restricted because terrorists control land routes and have destroyed telephone communication networks. CT.
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