In Africa, Islamists kill over 22,000 people in a year, mostly Christians

ADF is responsible for the killings of thousands of civilians in Africa. Photo: Reuters

Over the past year, militant Islamist groups in Africa have killed more than 22,000 people, most of whom were Christians. This is evidenced by the data from a study published by the African Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS) on July 28, 2025, reports the christiandaily website.

The study was conducted against the backdrop of an attack on Christians in a church in the city of Komanda in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. In June, Islamists from the Islamist-linked ADF (Allied Democratic Forces) group, attacked Christians during a night service in the city of Komanda, killing 43 believers. And in early July, in the Ituri province, near the border with Uganda, the same group carried out another attack, resulting in 66 deaths.

The report notes that from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, 10 Islamist groups operating in West, East, and Central Africa were responsible for the deaths of 22,307 people. This is 60% more than in the same period from 2020 to 2022.

"Nearly half of the fatalities (10,685 people) have been in the Sahel region," the study states. This region includes countries such as Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, and Cameroon.

Along with the Lake Chad Basin and Somalia, these three regions account for 99% of all militant Islamist-linked fatalities in Africa over the past year.

Over the past decade, according to ACSS, radical Islamists in Africa are responsible for more than 150,000 deaths. In the Sahel, the JNIM (Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin) group, linked to «Al-Qaeda», is accountable for more than 80% of the victims, especially in Mali and Burkina Faso, where it controls more than half of the territory.

"The pace and scale of violence in the Sahel is likely even higher than reported, given that the military juntas .... have restricted media access within the region, which is the main source of conflict data," the report emphasizes.

In East Africa, the Somali group «Al-Shabaab» has intensified its activities, with its attacks over the past two years alone resulting in 6,224 fatalities.

It is noted that the growing influence of ISIS in Somalia is of particular concern, which, according to the UN, currently serves as the financial and administrative headquarters of the Islamic State in the region.

As reported by the UOJ, earlier in Syria, Islamists killed a Christian pastor and 20 members of his family.

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