In Africa, Islamists Kill Around 22,000 People in One Year, Mostly Christians

The ADF is responsible for the killing of thousands of civilians in Africa. Photo: Reuters

Over the past year, militant Islamist groups in Africa have killed more than 22,000 people, most of them Christians. This is according to a study by the African Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS) published on July 28, 2025, Christian Daily reports.

The study followed an attack on Christians in a church in Komanda, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. In June, militants from the Islamic State–affiliated ADF attacked Christians during an overnight service in Komanda, killing 43 worshippers. In early July, the same group carried out another attack in Ituri Province near the Ugandan border, killing 66 people.

The report states that between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, ten Islamist groups operating in West, East, and Central Africa were responsible for 22,307 deaths—an increase of 60% compared to the same period from 2020 to 2022.

“Nearly half of all deaths (10,685) were recorded in the Sahel,” the study notes. This region includes Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, and Cameroon.

Together with the Lake Chad Basin and Somalia, these three regions accounted for 99% of all Islamist-related deaths in Africa last year.

Over the past decade, radical Islamists in Africa have been responsible for more than 150,000 deaths, according to the ACSS. In the Sahel, the al-Qaeda–linked JNIM (Jamaat Nusrat ul-Islam wal-Muslimin) is responsible for more than 80% of casualties, particularly in Mali and Burkina Faso, where it controls more than half the territory.

“The pace and scale of violence in the Sahel are likely even higher than reported, as military juntas in the region have restricted media access to information,” the report emphasizes.

In East Africa, the Somali group al-Shabaab has stepped up its activities. In just the past two years, its attacks have claimed 6,224 lives.

The growing influence of the Islamic State in Somalia is particularly concerning, as the UN reports the country now serves as the group’s financial and administrative hub in the region.

Previously, UOJ reported that militants linked to ISIS attacked a Catholic church in the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to local authorities, at least 34 people were killed in the assault, and another 15 were injured.

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