Violence against Christians in West Africa on May 13, 2019, in both Burkina Faso and Niger, according to reports from Fides News Agency.
In Burkina Faso, four faithful were bringing the statue of the Virgin back to church after participating in a Marian procession were killed in Singa, in the municipality of Zimtenga (25 km from Kongoussi), in the central northern region of the country. This is the same region to which the province of Sanmatenga belongs, where on this past Sunday, Fr. Siméon Yampa, parish priest of Dablo, was killed along with five faithful in the attack on the church during Sunday mass.
According to information sent to Fides, the Catholic faithful of the village of Singa, in the municipality of Zimtenga, after having participated in a procession from their village to that of Kayon, located about ten kilometers away, were intercepted by armed men. The terrorists let the minors go, but they executed four adults and destroyed the statue.
On May 13, His Exc. Mgr. Séraphin François Rouamba, Archbishop of Koupéla and President of the Bishop’s Conference Burkina Faso-Niger, made an appeal for peace and peaceful coexistence during the funeral of the victims of Dablo. The funeral was attended by Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, and representatives of traditional religions.
Also on, May 13, unidentified people attacked the parish of Dolbel, belonging to the diocese of Niamey, Niger, which is located about 200 km from Niamey, in the Songhay-Zerma area. Missionary sources told Fides. the parish priest, Fr. Nicaise Avlouké, was wounded in one hand and leg and is a guest in the military camp.
«There have long been ‘rumors’ of possible attacks on the parish and priests in particular. This last fact only confirms the deterioration of the security situation in the border area with Burkina Faso,» sources said. «The defense forces appear little prepared for this new stage of Sahelian terrorism». In Niger there is still no news of Fr. Pier Luigi Maccalli, the SMA missionary abducted in Niger on the night between September 17-18, 2018.
