Burkina-Faso: The Islamists’ Intention to Invade the Whole Country

Since 2015, Burkina Faso has suffered an unprecedented increase in terrorism, and on January 2, a priest was murdered in the northwest of the country. Msgr. Laurent Dabiré, Bishop of the Diocese of Dori, comments on the current situation in the country.

How did the population experience Christmas?

The population is depleted, and many have lost family members. There has also been a lot of material destruction, and it weighs on everyone. However, in our country, Christmas has always been a time of joy and a time of respite. People gather for mass, although some do not come because they are too scared.

Most of your country is occupied by terrorists. Do they all claim to follow Islam?

Yes, all. 50% of our territory is now occupied. Some groups do not explicitly state their intentions, but there are those whose name alone reveals their aims, such as the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (JNIM), whose declared intention is to spread Islam in the whole country, including through terrorism.

It is clear that the underlying objective is to suppress the current society, which is a multi-religious society of dialogue and coexistence. The terrorists want to eradicate this society and all those who do not profess the same Islam as them, including Muslims. So terrorism is now directed against everyone.

What are the consequences of this terrorism for the Church?

The consequences of terrorism over the past seven years have been terrible. As far as pastoral work is concerned, we can no longer deploy ourselves as we used to. Our field of action has been greatly reduced, because terrorists occupy two thirds of the Sahel. We are practically left with the provincial capitals.

The Diocese of Dori has six parishes, three have already been closed and I was about to close another this summer. Another is under blockade. In some places they have no food and communications are cut off; we only managed to send a few messages there thanks to some UN NGOs that have the means to do so.

When do you decide to close a parish?

When an area becomes dangerous due to the approach of terrorists, it is often the faithful themselves who ask to move their priests to a safe place, because they know that they are more exposed to danger.

How do you reach the faithful who are now displaced?

We organized pastoral care for internally displaced people, who number two million to date. It is a difficult time, but I also see the graces of this time: we are all united this time!

Radio helps us to reach displaced people, and when communication is completely cut off, we try to use military or humanitarian convoys to send messages to those who are isolated in order to transmit information and send news. We have sometimes managed to send food and supplies to isolated areas, thanks to military convoys. We are adapting to the situation as best we can.