“the life of my lord will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the LORD.”
The Islamic militant group al-Shabaab, which has been active in Somalia for 18 years, is still having a strong impact, which has exacerbated the threat to Christians, Evangelical Focus said recently.
Since its establishment in 2006, Somalia’s Islamist militant group al-Shabaab has expanded its scope of activities by linking with al-Qaeda in 2012. They still have a strong influence in Somalia and neighbouring countries and are focusing on regional control using Sharia law as their base. International experts analysed that the reason al-Shabaab has been able to survive longer than other extremist groups is that it focused on expanding its power in Somalia and local authorities.
Stig Jarl Hansen, an expert in the Horn of Africa, told the online media The Conversation that al-Shabaab still has between 7,000 and 12,000 militia members. The main reason al-Shabaab was able to survive is the failure of Western countries in establishing peace in Somalia.
As the intervention of the United States and the United Nations has not been effective, al-Shabaab has touted the democratic system provided by the West as unreliable, and they have won the support of the residents by ensuring safety in the areas they control. Especially, amid frequent ethnic conflicts in Somalia, al-Shabaab has strengthened its power by exerting influence as a strong mediator.
The situation for Somali Christians has worsened significantly due to al-Shabaab activities. The Somali government has not established a policy to protect religious minorities such as Christians. In 2022, as Minister of Religion, the government appointed ‘Mukhtar Robow’, who was the No. 2 of al-Shabaab.
Somalia ranked the second for the second consecutive year in the 2023 and 2024 World Christian Persecution Countries rankings released by the Open Door Mission. “Church activity does not exist in Somalia, and the threats faced by Christians in recent years seem to have worsened,” Open Door said. “Most Somali Christians are underground Christians and persecuted communities,” two Christians from Somalia testified through Spanish online media.
According to the Somali Bible Society, more than 171,000 people in Somalia identify themselves as Christians, of which 85.6 % are evangelicals and 12.5 % are Catholics. Among the Somalis who migrated to neighbouring countries, Christian numbers are 5,649 in Kenya, 8,917 in Ethiopia, and 3,760 in Djibouti. (Source: Evangelical Prayer Newspaper Roundup).
Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, the life of my lord will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the LORD your God, but the lives of your enemies he will hurl away as from the pocket of a sling. (1 Samuel 25:29)
God, we ask You to break the evil power of al-Shabaab, which has been active for 18 years and threatens the lives of Christians. Reveal Yourself as the great and righteous God to those deceived by false religion, who take lives without understanding the gravity of their sin. Open their eyes to realize that no one escapes Your judgment. Through the churches of Jesus, let the message of salvation—given by grace to those who believe and confess their need for the cross—reach every heart. Protect the spirits of believers under attack, securing them in the safety of Your care. Renew Somalia with the life-giving power of the gospel and transform this land through Your grace.
Prayer 24·365
prayer@prayer24365.org
