National March Against Boko Haram in Niger Today

UN Has Condemned Escalating Anti-Christian Violence in Region

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Today, a national demonstration is being held in Niger to protest the violence of the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram, reported Fides.

In a statement issued to the press late Friday evening, the UN Security Council condemned “in the strongest terms” the continued escalation of attacks perpetrated by Boko Haram. In the week leading up to the statement, deadly attacks took the lives of many civilians in Chad, Niger, and Cameroon.

In a message from the Groupe de Réflexion et d’Actions des Cadres Chrétiens Catholiques du Niger (GRAC Niger) sent to Fides, the organization stressed today’s march is intended to draw attention to the fact that the Boko Haram activity now threatening Niger has the same roots as the waves of Anti-Christian violence which affected Nigeria last month.

The same forces which attacked the border town of Diffa, the message claims, are targeting Niger. 

“Let us not be misled, brothers and sisters of Nigeria,” it says, “that those who destroyed our churches and our infrastructures, are those against whom we march.”

The terrorists’ motives, it adds, stem from “intolerance, hatred and exclusion.”

In the message, GRAC Niger recalls the exhortation addressed to Nigerians in 2014, which states: “That which unites us from the cultural, political and religious point of view, is far stronger than that which divides us.”

That bond, the exhortation says, is love for their homeland, that despite differences, they are very proud of their roots.

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Deborah Castellano Lubov

Deborah Castellano Lubov is Senior Vatican & Rome Correspondent for ZENIT; author of 'The Other Francis' ('L'Altro Francesco') featuring interviews with those closest to the Pope and preface by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin (currently published in 5 languages); Deborah is also NBC & MSNBC Vatican Analyst. She often covers the Pope's travels abroad, often from the Papal Flight (including for historic trips such as to Abu Dhabi and Japan & Thailand), and has also asked him questions on the return-flight press conference on behalf of the English-speaking press present. Lubov has done much TV & radio commentary, including for NBC, Sky, EWTN, BBC, Vatican Radio, AP, Reuters and more. She also has contributed to various books on the Pope and has written for various Catholic publications. For 'The Other Francis': http://www.gracewing.co.uk/page219.html or https://www.amazon.com/Other-Francis-Everything-They-about/dp/0852449348/

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