Military troops ride in a vehicle in central Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, following an Islamic extremist attack on March 2, 2018. (AP Photo/ Ludivine Laniepce)
Source: Religion News Service
(RNS) — A rash of attacks on churches in Burkina Faso is exposing the growing challenge of containing Islamist violence across Africa’s Sahel region.
On Sunday (May 12) militants attacked a Roman Catholic Church service in Dablo, a town about 200 kilometers north of Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou, killing a 34-year-old Catholic priest and at least five worshippers. The priest, Rev. Simeon Yampa, died as he celebrated morning Mass.
An estimated 20 to 30 attackers fired on the fleeing congregation and then returned to set the church ablaze. They also burned down nearby shops and looted a local health center.
Archbishop Theophile Nare of the diocese of Kaya expressed pain at the deaths and appealed for peace, while paying tribute to the dead priest.
Categories: Africa, Catholic Church, Christianity, The Muslim Times, Violence