Darkness is growing in Somalia.
Last week, the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group gained its first foothold in the country located in the Horn of Africa, according Mission Network News.
The al-Shabaab, another Islamist militant group, has likewise reportedly taken over parts of the country.
"These are perilous times" for Christians in Somalia, said Voice of the Martyrs, Canada's Greg Musselman.
"Yet, in the middle of all that, we do hear these many stories of Muslims having visions and dreams of Jesus. They need that, really, in order to stand for their faith," he revealed.
Last week ISIS militants entered Qandala, a small coastal town in northern Somalia, which is al-Shabaab territory. According to Reuters, the ISIS fighters flew their flag over a government building but then withdrew to nearby caves a day later.
"The militants left town early this morning but they are not far away," Abdiweli Adan, an elder in a town close to Qandala, told AFP. "Some fishermen saw them staying close by in mountainous enclaves."
Just like ISIS, al-Shabaab is also in the territory-grabbing business. Its militants reportedly seized several towns in Somalia after Ethiopia pulled out its peacekeeping troops from the country..
Although ISIS and al-Shabaab, which is allied with al-Qaeda, are both considered terrorist organisations, the two oppose each other.
"The Shabaab decided to kill anyone suspected of supporting ISIS," an al Shabaab defector recently told The New York Times. "The fighting between them is a struggle over power, not principle."
Somalia is "one of the most difficult places in the world" for Christians, Musselman said. In recent weeks, the terrorists "have been attacking Christian areas along the Kenya and Somali border in retaliation for the Kenyan government saying they were going to 'stomp out'...al-Shabaab," he said.
Somalia is ranked number seven on Open Doors USA's World Watch List of the world's 50 worst places to be a Christian.
It has been on the World Watch List since 1993. Open Doors USA says since the downfall of Ziad Barre in 1991, Somalia has become a safe haven for Islamic radicalism.
It says life for former Muslims who converted to Christianity is much more difficult in Somalia compared to other countries known for persecuting Christians.
