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 . . . Read More

23 Catholic missionaries killed in 2017

Mourners at the funeral of the popular activist Filipino priest Fr. Marcelito Paez
At least 23 people working for the Catholic Church were killed in 2017, a Vatican agency has said. For the eighth consecutive year the place where most violent deaths occurred was America, where 11 people lost their lives. Ten pastoral workers were killed in Africa, five in Nigeria, and two . . . Read More

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 . . . Read More

African mission leader searches for positives despite deadly surge of jihadist violence

African mission leader searches for positives despite deadly surge of jihadist violence
Attacks attributed to radical Islamic groups are happening on a weekly, or even daily, basis in Africa, posing security concerns across a vast swathe of the continent. The phenomenon has dramatically affected Church activities in various regions. But Rev. Reuben E. Ezemadu, Coordinator of the Movement for African National Initiatives . . . Read More