By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
NOUAKCHOTT (Worthy News) – Representatives of Mauritania’s tiny but thriving Christian community have expressed concerns about renewed Islamic extremism in the northwest African nation after Muslim imams organized a protest against the presence of Christians in the southern city of Sélibaby. The April 7 rally, which was approved by local authorities, followed the death of a Christian convert in a motorcycle accident a few days earlier, Christians told Worthy News.
Some Muslim leaders were reportedly angered over the burial of the Christian within their community as they regarded him as an “apostate” for abandoning Islam.
During the protest, “threats were made against followers of Jesus both in person and on social media,” added advocacy group Voice Of the Martyrs Canada (VOMC), which closely followed the case. “Demonstrators demanded that action be taken against the community’s “infidels,” including calls to burn the homes of Christian residents. At one point, the body of the buried Christian was dug up and dragged through the streets before being reburied in a village 20 kilometers (12.5 miles)
away.”
Although a tense calm returned to the streets, “hate speech and threats persisted on social media,” Christians said, adding that “militant Muslim community members” continued to call for “the complete social ostracism of Christians.”
Due to the volatility of the situation, “some Christian leaders have been warned by relatives to refrain from contacting them,” added VOMC.
The incident comes amid a broader crackdown on devoted Christian believers in the country, which is officially 100 percent Muslim. However believers among the roughly 11,000 Christians living in the strict Islamic country continue to worship, with several risking the death penalty for leaving Islam, Worthy News learned.
FACING EXECUTION
Although the death penalty is “seldom enforced” in the country of 4.3 million people, “the law emboldens Muslim militants and creates an atmosphere of fear for those who are at risk of potential harm,” VOMC explained.
Mauritania currently ranks 23 on the annual World Watch List of 50 countries where advocacy group Open Doors says Christians face the most persecution for their faith in Christ. The country “is staunchly Islamic, and Christian activities are severely restricted, making it difficult for Christians to express their faith. For those who convert from Islam, it’s almost impossible,” Open Doors noticed in a recent assessment.
“Christianity is viewed as a negative Western influence, and Christian converts face severe hostility both from the authorities and from their families. Apostasy is legally punishable by death, although there are no known cases of this in recent years – but the threat remains. Converts risk expulsion from the family home and loss of livelihood; they may even be forced to leave the country. The presence of Islamist extremist groups also constitutes a threat to those who leave Islam. Baptisms can only be carried out secretly, but many converts are reluctant to do this, fearing the awful consequences of being discovered,” Open Doors noticed.
It has added to social difficulties for Christians in the country, which remains poor despite an abundance of natural resources, including iron ore and petroleum. The country’s economy is based mainly on agriculture, livestock, and fishing.
Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, a former army chief in power since 2019 and re-elected last year, has been credited with returning some stability to the troubled nation after decades of political unrest and frequent coups.
However, he is under pressure to end the persecution of Christians as well as slavery, which is still a reality in the country despite being outlawed. Anti-slavery activists have faced torture and detention, according to well-informed sources, with thousands of Black Mauritanians reportedly being enslaved. About three percent of the country’s total population are living as slaves, according to the Global Slavery Index (GSI) in 2023.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
North Korea fired about 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters Thursday, South Korea’s military said, a sharp show of force just one day after Pyongyang dismissed President Donald Trump’s decision to scale back U.S.–South Korea military drills.
The Pentagon has ordered 30 American colleges and universities to audit foreign research partnerships and cut off any arrangements deemed a threat to U.S. national security, with officials warning that schools could lose federal research funding if they fail to comply.
The U.S. military’s heavy use of Tomahawk cruise missiles during the conflict with Iran is sharpening concerns in Washington over America’s ability to sustain long-range precision warfare while also preparing for future threats.
Israel has warned Syria not to allow Turkey to establish a deeper military foothold inside the country, escalating a growing diplomatic confrontation between Jerusalem and Ankara after an Israeli strike on the Abu al-Duhur military air base in northern Syria.
The USS George Washington aircraft carrier is now operating in the Middle East, U.S. Central Command said Thursday, marking a major carrier rotation as the USS Abraham Lincoln prepares to end one of the Navy’s most punishing recent deployments.
The death toll from the collapse of an artisanal gold mine in western Central African Republic has risen to more than 100, with others still missing or trapped beneath rubble, underscoring broader concerns about safety risks faced by miners across the region, rescue workers and local officials said.
Ukrainian authorities said Thursday at least 16 people were killed and about 40 injured in massive overnight Russian drone and missile strikes on Kyiv and the wider region, while neighboring countries were placed on high alert amid reports of drones entering or approaching their territory.