A new wave of jihadist attacks in northern Mozambique has left at least 20 Christians dead and thousands displaced, as militants linked to the Islamic State continue to target Christian communities, churches and homes.
The coordinated strikes, attributed to Ahlu Sunnah wa Jama’ah (known locally as al-Shabaab), devastated the Christian-majority community of Napala village in Chiúre District, part of the conflict-ridden Cabo Delgado Province.
The violence, which erupted earlier this month, left 1,300 homes and two churches burned to the ground, forcing around 2,000 people to flee.
Local residents say the onslaught intensified after Mozambique’s Defence and Security Forces (FDS) retreated from the area, leaving communities exposed.
A local pastor told Open Doors: “Everything got worse when the FDS tried to intervene without success. When they fled, they left everything worse for those people.”
Similarly, a community leader shared to Open Doors: “Since the military were already in confrontation with terrorists, after they retreated, al-Shabaab continued with great fury and attacks which caused all houses to be destroyed.”
Among those killed were four elderly Christian women who were tied up and set on fire inside a house, according to witnesses.
This is the latest episode in a eight-year insurgency that has ravaged northern Mozambique since 2017.
The conflict, driven by Islamist militants affiliated with the Islamic State Mozambique Province (ISMP), has already claimed more than 6,000 lives and displaced over one million people, according to conflict monitors.
The attacks came as the so-called Islamic State (IS) operatives issued a chilling statement targeting Christians in Africa.
In its weekly online publication, the group warned that believers must convert to Islam, “pay the jizya [a tax],” or face “death and expulsion.”
The article praised the violent acts of the “jihad” in Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), urging European followers to “exact a divine verdict” against Christians in their respective areas.
Analysts fear such rhetoric could trigger further violence across sub-Saharan Africa, where Islamist groups have intensified their campaigns.
Despite the scale of the crisis, a local source shared with Open Doors that the Mozambican government continues to restrict information about the conflict.
Security officials reportedly ban photography and limit media access to affected regions, leaving many attacks largely ignored and not followed up by authorities.
The source said to Open Doors: “It is heartbreaking to witness how the government of Mozambique is managing this ongoing conflict, and even more painful to see the current posture of the church in the face of these deep afflictions of Christ’s body.
“There is no doubt that the church remains the central target of these attacks. Hundreds of churches have been burned, countless Christians have been assaulted.”
According to Open Doors, at least 56 Christians have been killed for their faith in Mozambique this year.
More than 100 churches came under assault or were shut down, and 13 believers kidnapped because of their faith.
Mozambique ranks 37th on the 2025 Open Doors World Watch List of the most dangerous countries to be a Christian.
In addition to concerns over extremists, Christian advocacy groups recently warned that the country's proposed “Religious Regulation Law” could worsen persecution.
The draft law would, they said, impose strict government oversight on religious groups, requiring churches to collect thousands of signatures for registration — rules that do not apply to Islamic institutions.
Organisations including Open Doors, the World Evangelical Alliance, and Evangelical Association of Mozambique appealed to the government to withdraw the proposal.
“The Church in Mozambique is enduring deep trauma,” a local Open Doors contact said. “Many believers and leaders live with fear, intimidation and emotional exhaustion. Although there remains a genuine desire to serve Christ, fear continues to weaken the church’s public witness in many areas. But God’s working in these hotspot areas, in ways that are hard to explain.”
The ongoing violence underscores the urgency of Open Doors’ Arise Africa campaign, which calls on Christians worldwide to pray, advocate, and act for those persecuted across the continent.
Churches are also preparing for the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church on November 15, with a 12-hour vigil planned in the UK and worldwide.
