6/20/2025 Africa/Latin America (International Christian Concern) — Many Christians across Africa and Latin America continue to suffer for their faith because of Islamic oppression, dictatorial paranoia, and criminal cartel organizations. 

Large populations in Cuba, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mexico, Mozambique, Nicaragua, and Nigeria are predominantly Christian. Yet, many Christ followers in these nations are often brutally attacked for following Christ, and their governments are failing to protect them. 

Persecution in Africa 

In the DRC, Christians represent roughly 95% of the nation’s population, yet they are being slaughtered at alarming rates. Much of the killing is being done by Islamist groups like ISIS-DRC, also known as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), and ISCAP, a militant group of the Islamic State group. 

In March, the European Parliament stated that “ISCAP is now the deadliest armed group in the DRC,” and between January and June 2024, the “Islamic State claimed responsibility for killing a total of 698 African Christians … and ISCAP claimed responsibility for killing 639 Christians.” 

Additionally, the U.S. Department of State cited an incident in the DRC in January 2023 where “ISIS-DRC/ADF detonated an explosive at a church baptism service in Kasindi, North Kivu Province, killing 16 and injuring at least 62. In March [2023], the group killed more than 83 Christians, including children, in attacks on villages in North Kivu.” Moreover, ADF rebels beheaded 70 Christians on Feb. 15, 2025, in a Protestant church in Kasanga. 

Likewise, according to the U.S. State Department, in Mozambique, about 62% of the population is composed of Christians, yet Islamic extremists still target them for their faith. According to Open Doors, these extremists have “target[ed] Christian places of worship, abducting religious leaders and killing numerous believers.” 

According to a May report from Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Christians in the northern part of Mozambique are being severely attacked by Islamist extremists.  

“The Christian population of Cabo Delgado in northern Mozambique is suffering greatly from terrorist attacks carried out as part of an Islamist insurgency,” the report stated. 

And in Nigeria, Christians account for roughly half the population and are being killed at near genocide levels. Tens of thousands of Christ followers have been slaughtered for their faith in the nation during the past 25 years, with no signs of the persecution slowing down. A great deal of the violence is perpetrated by jihadists and Islamic extremists. According to Open Doors, “These attacks are shockingly brutal in nature. Many believers are killed, particularly men, while women are often kidnapped and targeted for sexual violence. These militants also destroy homes, churches, and livelihoods.” 

Persecution in Latin America 

In Cuba, the Catholic Church estimates that roughly 60% of the population practices Catholicism, though exact numbers are unknown due to the communist government’s secrecy regarding certain statistics. Cuban churches that publicly oppose the government’s human rights abuses are targeted by authorities for harassment and intimidation. Additionally, churches are subjected to random, arbitrary closures by the government if they are considered a threat. 

Similarly, Christians in Mexico account for 88% of the population, according to the 2020 census. Yet, they fear violence and intimidation from local cartels who extort churches and commit attacks of violence against Christ followers for speaking against their activities. According to Teresa Flores, director of the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Latin America (OLIRE), cartels sometimes view churches as a source of financial opportunity. 

“These criminal organizations have obvious financial interests,” Flores stated in a Christianity Today report. “When someone receives donations or has a large amount of tithes, they can become a target.” Additionally, according to the report, “in regions inhabited by Indigenous ethnic groups, who practice a form of Catholicism blended with local spiritual practices, Protestant converts face community retaliation that can turn violent.” 

In Nicaragua, 81% of the population consists of Christians, but in recent years, Christ followers have come under harsh attacks from the socialist regime. Nicaraguan authorities are increasingly imprisoning or exiling Christians who speak out against the government due to dictatorial paranoia. 

The reality of persecution against Christians is an ever-growing one. Nations once viewed as “safely” Christian are now under threat, with new and deepening forms of persecution popping up in unexpected places and at alarming rates. The ripple effect of the suppression of Christians’ human rights the world over will have a lasting influence on future generations. 

To read more news stories, visit the ICC Newsroom. For interviews, please email press@persecution.org.