Arise Africa

7th Episode: Ranked number 39 on the World Watch List 2026, Mozambique is a nation of vibrant faith – yet growing fragility. While over half the population identifies as Christian, believers in the northern Cabo Delgado province face relentless violence from Islamic extremist groups, some linked to the Islamic State. Churches have been burned, homes destroyed, and families torn apart. In some area...

In the sixth Arise Africa episode, we turn to Burkina Faso, ranked 16 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2026, where Christians face extreme persecution amid a collapse of state authority. Islamic extremist groups dominate large areas, carrying out violent attacks, burning churches, destroying homes and displacing entire communities. With a violence score of 96.7%, believers—especially those who l...

In the fifth Arise Africa episode, we turn to Eritrea, ranked 5th on the World Watch List 2026, where following Jesus can mean surveillance, imprisonment and forced military service. Only four religious groups are officially recognised, leaving many Evangelical and Pentecostal Christians treated as illegal. Believers face violent raids, indefinite detention in harsh conditions and severe punishmen...

In the fourth Arise Africa episode, we focus on Sudan. It’s ranked 4th on the Open Door’s World Watch List 2026, where Christians face extreme persecution amid civil war and political upheaval. Since the 2021 military takeover and the outbreak of brutal conflict in 2023, religious freedom has sharply deteriorated. Churches have been bombed, occupied by militias and forced to close. Believers face...

Many women survive the unthinkable – they get kidnapped from their villages, enslaved, and violated in ways no human should endure. But when they finally escape and return home, expecting to be embraced, they find rejection. Their community turns its back. Their family whispers in shame. This is the devastating reality for countless women across Central Africa ( number 22 on the Open Doors World W...

While the world looks away, a humanitarian catastrophe unfolds in the heart of Africa. In the Democratic Republic of Congo and across Central Africa, Christian communities face a terrifying surge in targeted violence that demands our attention. Armed militias are systematically attacking villages, burning churches, and slaughtering believers for their faith. But perhaps the most harrowing reality...

Welcome to the first episode of the Arise Africa podcast! Each year, Open Doors publishes the World Watch List, detailing countries where Christians face staggering levels of persecution. This series will shine a spotlight on Sub-Saharan African nations, the epicentre of violence against Christians. Alarmingly, 4,491 out of 4,849 Christian deaths worldwide occurred in this region—an astonishing 93...