Page 18 - Voice of the Persecuted Christians - Jan-Mar 2022 - 121

BURKINA FASO
Standing firm amid the devastation
DChristians are still reaching out with hope and help in a nation on the brink, writes Laura Hayes
our partners didn’t know what was going on, there was no internet and the country felt changed. For the first few weeks after the military came
espite the ongoing chaos in children on ‘salt and leaves’. It is a Burkina Faso, Christians are tragedy on a vast scale with more
risking their lives to spread the
gospel and help persecuted believers, many Christian families fleeing
our partner Dr Susanna* told me. towards the capital Ouagadougou to
to power, it was kind of peaceful,
there was quiet on the streets of Ouagadougou and in the provinces, but very quickly the jihadists started to attack again. Everyone was thinking that [Damiba], who started to run
the country from the end of January, would deal with the jihadists, because he promised the people he would fight with them. He said that he would provide food because he didn’t like the politics before, so everyone was hoping the situation would change for the better. Unfortunately it was not the case.’
There were two military coups in access aid and find safety.
2022 and the former President was Susanna is concerned for her friends forced into exile. Recent reports from and partners on the ground there. the UN on Burkina Faso, which is one She says: ‘The situation is now
of several countries that make up the changing for the worse. The first coup Sahel, are deeply concerning: due to was in January and was led by the
the continued jihadist insurgency,
many parts of the country have
been cut off and people are facing
starvation. One report documents
how mothers are feeding their
than 1.5 million people including
military leader [Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba]. The army suspended the constitution and dissolved the national assembly. The situation became very chaotic and
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