The Voice of the Martyrs, August 22nd, 2024 (excerpts)
The Fulani are a nomadic Muslim tribe in a vast region where the Sahara Desert meets the African savanna, called the Sahel. The total number of Fulani is unknown but believed to be between 20 and 40 million people. Militant Fulani Muslims have been involved in vicious attacks on Christians in many nations, including Nigeria and Burkina Faso.
But some Fulani are turning to Christ, like Sadou in Burkina Faso. Sadou was raised from childhood to make and sell Islamic charms. One day he read a Christian brochure in his native Fulani language and asked a Christian for a Bible.
“I was so curious as a Muslim,” he said. “What is this faith? And as I read it, I realized that Jesus is pure.” He eventually came to faith in Christ. A Muslim offered him $6,000 to return to Islam, but Sadou refused. He now attends a school designed to help Fulani Christians grow in their faith.
Burkina Faso has seen a sharp rise in Islamist activity since 2016. Militants linked to the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS) and al-Qaida, who had been largely contained in neighbouring Mali and Niger, have crossed porous borders in the north to broaden their influence in the Sahel region.
Christians have been a primary target of the Islamists’ campaign since April 2019, when approximately 70 Christians were killed, and five churches were attacked. More than 200 churches have reportedly closed in northern and eastern Burkina Faso because of security issues and threat of attack.