On June 9, 2019, armed Fulani militants attacked a Christian village in Mali, Africa killing an estimated 100 people. According to BBC News, children were among the many casualties.
The attack in Mali, Africa
Radical Islamists in the West African nation of Mali almost wiped out the Christian village of Sobame Da. The terrorists killed some 100 Christians, including children, killed the animals (food source and livelihood) and decimated homes.
“About 50 heavily armed men arrived on motorbikes and pickups…They first surrounded the village and then attacked – anyone who tried to escape was killed,” Amadou Togo, a survivor, told the AFP agency.
“No one was spared – [not] women, children, elderly people,” he added.
The Christian community in Mali “almost wiped out.”
Reports say that it was done by Islamist militias connected to so-called Islamic State (IS) who were in the area just before the attacks. So far no terror group has claimed responsibility for the violent attack.
A local official told the AFP that 95 civilians were found dead and burned, and they continue to look for others. Just days later, the number reached 100.
A security source who was at the scene when the attack happened, told the AFP that the village “had been virtually wiped out.” And according to the Open Doors a Christian persecution watchdog group, every person killed was a Christian.
In recent years, West Africa has seen some of the most barbaric assaults against Christians.
Open Doors prayer points:
- “Pray that God would be near to our brokenhearted brothers and sisters in Mali and throughout Africa. Ask God to be tangibly close.
- Ask God to pour out His Spirit of love, order, and calm over these communities. Pray for safety and protection in the days ahead.
- Ask God to intervene in this violence and bring the persecutors to justice. These attacks have gone on for too long. (Psalm 10:17-18, Psalm 82:3-4)
- As we see the magnitude of these attacks and previous ones, pray that God would end this movement.
- Pray that God’s grace and mercy would be at work in this tragedy.
- Pray with Christians and church leaders in West Africa as God works through them to bring His comfort and strength.”
Please pray with GOD TV, Open Doors, and Christians around the world for Mali, Africa.
Written by Joyca Lorriene
Reference: CBN News, Open Doors
Read also: Persecution Watch: 6 Christians Killed In Terror Attack At Pentecostal Church In Africa