Although Islamists have been dislodged from territory they previously controlled, the legacy of their 2012 takeover has been a more radicalised society that is even less hospitable to Christians than it was before – especially those who have converted to Christianity from Islam. Despite a 2015 peace deal with the government, Islamists continue to pose a threat to Christians (most of whom live in the south), especially in parts of the country that are not controlled by the state. Several Christian missionaries have been kidnapped for ransom in recent years.

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Swiss woman, hostage almost 5 years, killed by Islamist extremists in Mali

Beatrice Stockli settled in Timbuktu in 2000 and was first kidnapped for 10 days in 2012

A Swiss missionary Beatrice Stockli – kidnapped from Timbuktu in northern Mali in January 2016 – was killed only weeks before other hostages were freed by Islamist extremists, in an apparent prisoner-hostage swap negotiated by the new transitional government in Mali. News of her execution came from Sophie Petronin, a […]

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Mali Islamist to pay millions in compensation for damaged mausoleums, but nothing for churches

The International Criminal Court has ordered an Islamist leader to pay 2.7m euros ($3.1m) for the destruction of mausoleums in Mali’s northern city of Timbuktu. Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi pleaded guilty to ordering the destruction of the historic shrines at the World Heritage Site during the occupation of northern Mali by […]

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Kidnapped missionaries appear in video posted by jihadist groups in Africa’s Sahel

Kidnapped missionaries appear in video posted by jihadist groups in Africa’s Sahel

A coalition of jihadist groups affiliated to Al-Qaeda released a video showing six foreign hostages, including three missionaries, just hours before France president Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Mali, where France agreed to help support anti-terrorist efforts in the Sahel. According to the US-based monitoring group SITE, the undated 16’50” footage […]

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