Fides News Agency, Palazzo “de Propaganda Fide”, Roma (2026)

16/10/2026

ASIA/INDIA - Attack during Bible Conference: Catholic lay Association calls for an investigation: Calcutta – “We express our solidarity with the faithful of the Diocese of Krishnanagar, the Archdiocese of Calcutta and all Christian communities in West Bengal. We stand with the Santhal Christian community, whose right to worship in their own language is a constitutional right that must be protected.”
This is the statement issued to Fides News Agency by the “All India Catholic Union” , an organization representing Catholic laypeople in India, expressing dismay over a mob attack on St. Louis Parish Church in Jalalkhali, on the outskirts of Krishnanagar, in the State of West Bengal, on 9 October 2026.

The attack brought a four-day bible conference organized by the local Santhal community of the Diocese of Krishnanagar to an abrupt halt. More than 1,900 faithful from various parts of the State were attending the event.
According to eyewitness accounts, a group of about 200 people gathered near the church, chanting slogans before some entered the premises carrying bamboo poles and bricks, vandalizing decorations and banners, throwing stones at the prayer hall and assaulting those present. The glass protecting a statue of Jesus Christ was broken and at least six people were injured. Local Catholics who came out to protest were also attacked.

Bishop Nirmol Vincent Gomes of Krishnanagar described the assault as “premeditated” and “the worst violence his diocese has known”.
The diocese filed a complaint with police, invoking Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practise and propagate one’s religion. The diocese stressed that all those attending the event were already baptized Christians and that any allegations of “proselytism” or attempts to convert people were therefore unfounded.

In response to the serious incident, the AICU has called on the government to launch an investigation and disclose the status of all First Information Reports filed in connection with violence against Christian communities.
The organization has also recommended consulting parish priests, dioceses and churches, and introducing preventive measures wherever credible threats have been identified. It has further urged the National Human Rights Commission, the National Commission for Minorities and the West Bengal Human Rights Commission to launch an independent investigation to ensure that religious freedom is protected in every state of the Union.

According to the AICU, the incident in Jalalkhali forms part of a climate of hostility that has intensified, according to the organization, since the Bharatiya Janata Party took office in West Bengal in May 2026.
“We must ask whether the police and the state administration are able or willing to protect the constitutional rights of Christians and other communities,” said Alexander Anthony, the AICU’s national vice-president, announcing that the organization plans to hold a public demonstration in the State.
Anthony warned that West Bengal could join Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh on the list of states “characterized by frequent incidents of anti-Christian violence”. He called for “a public statement by the State’s Chief Minister, making it clear that such violence will not be tolerated”.
“We are particularly concerned,” he added, “that those responsible for the violence referred to the recent change of government in the state. In Barasat, on 12 July , members of radical Hindu groups threatened Salesian Sisters, saying that their activities would no longer be permitted now that the Bharatiya Janata Party was in power in West Bengal.”
The AICU representative concluded: “We recall that Articles 14, 21 and 25 of the Constitution protect the right of every religious community in India to profess and practise its faith.”

Calcutta (Fides News Agency) – “We express our solidarity with the faithful of the Diocese of Kr

16/10/2026

ASIA/MYANMAR - Churches occupied by the military and Christian Communities struggling amid conflict: the story of a parish priest from Sagaing: by Paolo Affatato

Myitkyina – “The civil war remains intense, and the situation is very difficult. Armed groups continue to fight in various parts of our area and maintain their positions around the parish. I have been displaced and am now staying in a village, where I assist people who have been forced to flee their homes. We hope in God’s grace and pray for our parish.”
This is the testimony given to Fides by Father Stephen Sut Awng, parish priest of Katha, a town in the State of Sagaing and within the diocese of Myitkyina, in northern Myanmar, where the conflict continues to affect the civilian population and Christian communities.

Appointed to the parish in 2025, the priest told Fides that the situation in Katha District remains marked by intense fighting between the Kachin Independence Army and Myanmar’s armed forces. The presence of the military and armed groups in the town has made everyday life difficult and forced the parish priest himself to leave the parish premises.

Father Sut Awng clarified an important detail to Fides: St Joseph’s Catholic Church, located in Katha town, has not been occupied by the military, contrary to reports published in the media in recent days. St Michael’s Catholic Church, however, in the village of Bye Malut, about eight kilometres from Katha, remains occupied by the army.
“It is not possible to celebrate liturgical services in the building,” he explained, lamenting that “a sacred place, a place of God, a place of peace, is being used as a place for weapons and war”.
The priest is currently staying in the village of Napa, also within the Diocese of Myitkyina, about 26 kilometres from Katha, alongside internally displaced people who have been forced to flee their homes because of the fighting.
“Far from my parish church, I continue my ministry by remaining close to those who have lost the security and stability of their everyday lives. We stand alongside the displaced, seeking to offer them some consolation and bear witness to the presence of God, who is our hope,” he said.
Amid the hardships of daily life and a conflict that has now lasted five years, “as Christians, we continue to call for dialogue and peace,” he added.
“I entrust to the Lord and the Virgin Mary my hope that the fighting, which has affected the lives of the population for far too long, will come to an end, and that I will be able to return to my parish,” he concluded.

The situation in Katha forms part of a wider pattern of violence affecting Christian places of worship in various parts of Myanmar. In Kachin State, in the north of the country, Christian leaders have denounced the use of a Baptist church for an activity involving a militia allied with Myanmar’s military.
According to the Kachin news group, on 23 September more than 400 members of the Shanni Nationalities Army , a militia allied with the Myanmar military, attended a graduation ceremony at Nant Mun Baptist Church following a training course. The head of the Myanmar military’s Northern Regional Command was also present.
“Turning a sacred place of worship into a military site is a violation of religious freedom and an offense to Kachin Christians,” they said, urging United Nations intervention.
The incident took place amid widespread instability in a region where fighting has damaged both religious buildings and civilian infrastructure.

Another incident occurred in Chin State, in western Myanmar, where Baptist Pastor Dal Thawn Tuang, 49, was shot dead on 14 September. He was married and had two children.
An assistant pastor at Lamzang Baptist Church, he had served the community for 22 years. He was returning home after carrying out his ministry in a nearby village when he was shot near a bridge during a shooting. The circumstances of the incident remain unclear.

by Paolo Affatato Myitkyina (Fides News Agency) – “The civil war remains intense, and the sit

16/10/2026

AFRICA/IVORY COAST - “Mission continues, always! Methods, pastoral approaches and available resources change… but the Spirit that inspired the pioneers 100 Years ago remains the same”: by Father Dario Dozio*

Korhogo – 1 October, the feast of Saint Therese: the perfect day to arrive in the mission. It has been ten years since I left Ivory Coast. It is a pleasure to find again its colours, music and smiles… and even the pungent, intense smell of the Ébrié Lagoon no longer bothers me. It feels like coming home!

So much has changed. First of all, the roads. As soon as I leave Abidjan airport, I find myself immersed in chaotic traffic, despite the four-lane roads in every direction, the new bridges and overpasses, and traffic lights and speed cameras operating at every major intersection. I am told that all this is thanks to AFCON, the Africa Cup of Nations, the continental football tournament hosted and won by Ivory Coast two years ago. And so, after seven hours I reach Korhogo in the north of the country before nightfall: my new mission.

Back in Italy, I was reminded to check my identity card from time to time. I am no longer 25, as I was when I first arrived; now it is time to think about retirement and finding a quiet little place to settle down… Yet I cannot hide my excitement. What a wonderful opportunity I have had! The chance to start almost from scratch, in a new place, with a language I do not know and a local culture and traditions that are rich and full of mysteries… In short, the opportunity I have been waiting for, for a long time, to keep me feeling alive.

Early in the morning, I arrive at the Catechetical Centre and take part in the opening of the pastoral year. I greet priests, religious sisters and lay members of parish councils. There are about fifty of us, gathered for several days with the Bishop to plan the diocese’s new pastoral guidelines together.
And I discover that I am the only white person there.
In 1980, when I arrived from Italy, freshly ordained, there were very few African priests. In the diocese where I lived, there was just one… and he was studying in France. The priests of the Society of African Missions , most of them French, numbered more than a hundred, while there were nearly thirty of us Italians.
Now the situation has reversed. The local Church has grown, both in numbers and in quality. The Christian faithful are actively involved and participate fully in parish life. Even the pastoral theme proposed for the next five years speaks of shared responsibility, autonomy and mission: “In fraternity and shared responsibility, we build autonomous communities at the service of mission.”

I give thanks to God for the work accomplished by the first missionaries, who had to walk for weeks through forests and savannahs to reach these lands, sowing the Word amid countless difficulties and facing dangers and disease.
Today, the fruits of their labour are there for all to see. I find myself in a diocese with a young, dynamic clergy and laypeople deeply committed to a Church they consider their own: a truly African Church.
In Korhogo, and throughout much of the north of the country, Muslims and animists make up the vast majority of the population. In the south, however, Christians are numerous, churches are filled almost every day, and there is an abundance of clergy.
Some bishops, therefore, have made a courageous decision: to send young priests as fidei donum missionaries to the north of the country for at least three years.
How wonderful it is that the mission continues, always! Methods, pastoral approaches and available resources change… but the Spirit that inspired the pioneers who arrived from Europe a hundred years ago remains the same. It shines in the faces of these young African priests who devote their lives to the service of the Gospel.
And I, too, with simplicity and surprise, seek to walk alongside them.

*Missionary of the Society of African Missions

by Father Dario Dozio* Korhogo (Fides News Agency) – 1 October, the feast of Saint Therese: the

16/10/2026

AFRICA/NIGERIA - Priest from the Diocese of Otukpo kidnapped: Abuja – Another Catholic priest has been kidnapped in Nigeria. The victim is Father John Inalegwu Otache, parish priest of St Margaret’s Parish in Ajegbe Awume. According to a statement issued by the Diocese of Otukpo, the kidnapping took place on 13 October.
“Father John was returning home from Otukpo when he was intercepted by kidnappers along the Otobi Amejo–Ajegbe road, in the Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue State,” the statement said. It was signed by the diocesan chancellor, Rev. Joseph Aboyi Itodo.
“The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Otukpo, Monsignor Michael Ekwoyi Apochi, deeply saddened by what has happened, invites all the faithful of the diocese and all people of goodwill to pray for Father John’s safe and speedy return home,” the statement continued.
“As efforts to secure his release intensify, united in heart and spirit, we entrust our confrere Father John, together with all others in the country who remain in the hands of their abductors, to the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, praying that they may soon be freed and return home safe and sound,” the statement concluded.
Otukpo is located in Benue State, in north-central Nigeria, and lies within the so-called Middle Belt, where clashes between farmers and herders over control of land and water resources are frequent.
On 29 July, armed men abducted seminarian Kelvin Ochai from the residence of the Bishop of Otukpo, Bishop Michael Ekwoyi Apochi. The seminarian escaped from his kidnappers on 31 July .

Abuja (Fides News Agency) – Another Catholic priest has been kidnapped in Nigeria. The victim is F

16/10/2026

Catholic Church Statistics 2026: Vatican City – The number of Catholics worldwide is increasing, and the number of priests is growing again, albeit slightly. Meanwhile, the number of women religious and major seminarians continues to decrease, while the contribution of lay missionaries and catechists is increasing.
As every year, in view of World Mission Sunday, which this year celebrates its 100th anniversary on Sunday, October 18, 2026, on the theme “One in Christ, united in mission”, Fides News Agency offers some statistics chosen to give a panorama of the Church in the world in the last year.

The data in the volume relating to the total world population reveal different trends. Africa recorded the largest increase in the number of Catholics and was the only continent to register an increase in both women religious and major seminarians.
All the data in the Dossier, compiled by Luca Mainoldi, are taken from the latest edition of the «Church’s Book of Statistics», published this year. It offers an overview of the Catholic Church’s presence worldwide, its pastoral structures, and its educational, healthcare and charitable activities.
Population and Catholic population data refer to 30 June 2024, while the other data are as of 31 December of the same year. variations are indicated in brackets, increase or decrease compared to the previous data .

The number of Catholics increases on every continent

To June 30, 2024 the world population was 7.995.573.000. Catholics in the world numbered 1.422.144.000 units with an overall increase of 16.690.000 Catholics compared to the previous year. The world percentage of Catholics remains unvaried, 17,8%.
The increase in the number of baptized was recorded on every continent. Increases were registered above all in Africa , and in America . Followed by Asia , Europe and Oceania .
Europe thus confirmed the increase already recorded in the previous survey.

More Catholics in Africa than in Europe

The Americas remain the continent with the largest Catholic population: 678,869,000, representing 64% of the continent’s population. Africa has 288,312,000 Catholics, surpassing Europe, where the total number is 287,240,000. Asia follows with 156,166,000 Catholics, while Oceania has 11,557,000.
The percentage of the Catholic population in all continents: 19.9% in Africa, 39.7% in Europe, 3.3% in Asia and 25.9% in Oceania.

Priests: a slight increase, with different trends across all continents

For the first time in five years, according to the dossier, the worldwide number of priests has increased, reaching 407,421, an increase of 425 compared to previous data.
The overall rise reflects increases in Africa , Asia and the Americas , that compensate decreases in Europe and Oceania . The numbers in the Americas increased after recording a decrease in the previous year.
The number of diocesan priests increased to 279,238 , while the number of religious priests decreased to 128,183 . Despite the slight overall increase in the number of priests, the average number of Catholics per priest also increased, reaching 3,491, or 38 more faithful per priest compared to previous data. This ratio increased in the Americas, Europe and Oceania, while decreased in Africa and Asia.

The number of bishops reached 5,525, an increase of 95 units: 4,365 diocesan bishops and 1,160 religious. The number of permanent deacons also continued to grow, reaching 52,102 , largely owing to increases in the Americas and Europe .

Women religious and seminarians: global decrease continues
The number of women religious worldwide is 580,131, a decrease of 9,292 compared to previous year data. Africa was the only continent to record an increase . Numbers decreased in Europe , the Americas , Asia and Oceania .
The number of non-religious priests is 48,511 . Numbers increased in Africa and Asia but declined on the other continents.
The number of major seminarians, both diocesan and religious, also decreased, falling from 106,495 in the previous data to 103,604, a decrease of 2,891. Africa was the only continent to record an increase , bringing its total to 35,710 major seminarians.
The most significant decline was registered in Asia , followed by Europe , the Americas and Oceania .
The number of minor seminarians fell to 94,041 while numbers increased in Africa and Oceania , but decreased in Europe , Asia and the Americas .

Growing contribution of lay missionaries and catechists

The dossier records an increase in the number of lay missionaries, which reached 463,079, 18,473 units compared to the previous year. An increase was concentrated primarily in the Americas . Increases were also recorded in Africa and Oceania, while numbers decreased in Asia and Europe.

The number of catechists reached 2,889,336 . The most significant increase was recorded in the Americas and Asia , with a further increase in Oceania .
Numbers decreased in Europe and, to a lesser extent, in Africa .
There are 3,047 ecclesiastical circumscriptions worldwide, six more than in the previous survey. Mission stations number 111,602 in total: 4,187 have a resident priest, while 107,415 do not. Compared to the previous year, the number of stations with a resident priest increased , while those without a resident priest decreased .
The Church’s educational, healthcare and charitable network

In the field of education, the Catholic Church runs 75.448 kindergartens with 7.480.373 pupils; 103.666 primary schools with 36.314.935 pupils; 51.810 secondary schools with 20.340.808 pupils. Furthermore, 2.685.027 pupils study in secondary schools and 4.091.087 in university institutes affiliated with the Catholic Church.
Compared to previous data, the number of kindergartens increased, although enrolment decreased. Both the number of primary schools and their enrolment increased, whereas secondary schools and student numbers both decreased. Africa has the largest number of pupils enrolled in Catholic primary schools, with 21,292,853 students.
Charity and healthcare centres run in the world by the Church are 101.110: 5.397 hospitals and 13.646 dispensaries, 468 Care Homes for people with Leprosy, 16.263 Homes for the elderly or the chronically ill or people with a disability, 8.138 orphanages, 10.352 creches; 10.624 marriage counselling centres, 3.194 social rehabilitation centers and 33.028 other kinds of institutes.
Africa has the largest number of hospitals and dispensaries, while Europe accounts for the majority of homes for the elderly, people with chronic illnesses and people with disabilities. Together, these institutes demonstrate how the Church’s pastoral structures are complemented by a daily presence in education, healthcare and social assistance.

The table regarding ecclesiastical circumscriptions entrusted to the care of the Dicastery for Evangelization shows that their total number is 1,130.

Link correlati :Catholic Church Statistics 2026

Vatican City (Fides News Agency) – The number of Catholics worldwide is increasing, and the number

15/10/2026

ASIA/INDIA - In the month of the Rosary, a prayer for peace in Manipur as new violence breaks out: Miao — “Manipur has been in turmoil for four years, with new outbreaks of violence reported almost every day. Most of the violence is directed against innocent villagers and women. The situation appears to be worsening by the day, with divisions and polarization deepening. What began as a conflict between two groups has evolved into a multidimensional conflict, with no solution in sight. In this context, we want to raise our voices to God: prayer, alongside concrete solidarity, is a resource to which we can turn.”
This is what Father Felix Anthony, Secretary for Social Communications in the Diocese of Miao, in the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, told Fides News Agency.

The relationship between the Diocese of Miao and the State of Manipur is extremely close, both geographically and institutionally, as well as in terms of humanitarian cooperation. The two lie within a remote macro-region of India that is isolated from the rest of the country and marked by a complex history. The Diocese of Miao, in Arunachal Pradesh, and the Archdiocese of Imphal, which covers the entire state of Manipur, belong to the same Bishops’ Conference of Northeast India. Moreover, many priests, missionaries—particularly the Salesians of Don Bosco—and religious sisters serving in Miao have received their formation or served in educational and theological institutions in Manipur. The bishops of the region work closely together to coordinate pastoral, social and educational initiatives.

Since May 2023, Manipur has been the scene of a bloody ethnic conflict between the Meitei majority and the Kuki tribal minority, with the Naga, the state’s third major ethnic group, subsequently becoming involved as well. The violence has claimed approximately 260 lives, destroyed hundreds of churches and displaced more than 60,000 people within the state. In response to the crisis, the Diocese of Miao has played an active role in providing support: through its social-service arm, Seva Kendra, the local Caritas organization, the diocese has helped collect and deliver humanitarian aid, medicines and essential supplies to camps for displaced people run by the Archdiocese of Imphal.

The Bishop of Miao, Salesian George Pallipparambil, is one of the most authoritative voices in northeastern India. He has repeatedly called for an end to the violence in Manipur and promoted reconciliation. The Miao community regularly organizes communal prayer initiatives. Recently, for the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, the entire diocesan community gathered for an online prayer vigil, placing the resolution of the crisis in Manipur and reconciliation among the Kuki, Meitei and Naga ethnic groups at the heart of their intentions.
The faithful prayed for peace through the online recitation of the Rosary. Representatives of various groups—including young people, priests, religious sisters, men and women—joined the virtual prayer, united in a common appeal for peace in Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India and the whole world.
Bishop George Pallipparambil reminded participants of the spiritual power of the Rosary in the face of evil and conflict. “The Rosary is our powerful weapon against the forces of evil. We do not pray the Rosary only today, but every day, and we should recite it as often as possible, especially during this Month of the Rosary,” he said.
The faithful prayed that, through the intercession and maternal guidance of the Virgin Mary, the peoples of northeastern India may rediscover the path to Christ—a path marked by peace, forgiveness and reconciliation.
In his concluding remarks, Bishop Dennis Panipitchai, SDB, Auxiliary Bishop of Miao, urged the faithful to continue praying for peace in Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. “The Rosary is a powerful weapon for bringing peace to hearts,” he said, describing it as “a school in which Mary teaches us to contemplate Jesus.”

The situation in Manipur remains extremely critical, with the ethnic conflict continuing to evolve in complex ways and recent spikes in violence adding to the instability. While the hostilities that erupted in May 2023 initially pitted the Meitei majority against the Kuki-Zo tribal minority, tensions have dangerously widened in 2026. In recent weeks, heavy armed clashes and ambushes have involved Kuki and Naga communities—the latter belonging to another major tribal group that had previously remained neutral. In the first half of October 2026, a new wave of shootings in the hill districts of Kamjong, Ukhrul and Kangpokpi left at least nine civilians dead, prompting renewed security concerns. At the institutional level, the state’s current Chief Minister, Yumnam Khemchand Singh, has condemned the violence and ordered a major deployment of security forces to the most sensitive areas.
Amid the ethnic crisis, local rebel groups have called a general strike for 15 October 2026, known as “National Black Day”, in protest against the 1949 annexation of Manipur to India. The strike has further paralyzed the region, where more than 60,000 people remain internally displaced, many still living in precarious conditions in relief camps.
The Archbishop of Imphal, Archbishop Linus Neli, is at the forefront of efforts to mediate the conflict. He has issued a strong appeal to leaders of all three main communities—Meitei, Kuki and Naga—to stop the cycle of revenge and sign a peace agreement. Civil-society organizations and religious leaders are stepping up talks with the local government in an effort to establish channels of dialogue and open humanitarian corridors to support the reconstruction of destroyed villages.

Miao (Fides News Agency) — “Manipur has been in turmoil for four years, with new outbreaks of vi

15/10/2026

ASIA/CHINA - Consecration of bishop of Haimen: Vatican City - Today, Thursday 15 October 2026, the Reverend Ignatius Ding Zuyao received episcopal ordination. On 24 August 2026, the Holy Father appointed him bishop of Haimen, Jiangsu Province, China, having approved his candidacy within the framework of the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China.
The Reverend Ignazio Ding Zuyao was born in August 1986 in Qidong, Jiangsu Province. Between 2001 and 2004, he studied at the Jiangsu Section of Sheshan Seminary, Shanghai. From 2004 to 2011, he studied philosophy and theology at the Beijing Theological Seminary, where he obtained his bachelor’s degree. On 27 October 2011, he was ordained a priest for the diocese of Haimen. From 2012 to 2013, he served as parish priest of Haimenzhen; from 2013 to 2017, he was parish priest at Linjiang; and from 2017 to 2023, he exercised his pastoral ministry as parish priest at Caojiazhen parish. In February 2023, he was appointed parish priest of Qingnian Donglu parish in Nantong, a post he has held to date.

Agenzia Fides: Organo di informazione delle Pontificie Opere Missionarie dal 1927

15/10/2026

AFRICA/BURKINA FASO — A war within a war: the clash between JNIM and the Islamic State in the Sahel: Ouagadougou — A war within a war is being fought in the sands of the Sahara, in the tri-border area where Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso meet. Here, the two main jihadist groups operating in the region are facing each other: Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin and the Islamic State in the Sahel .
The former is affiliated with Al-Qaeda, while the latter is linked to the Islamic State. The two groups coexisted for a long time and, in some cases, even cooperated across the three Sahelian countries, despite clashes between jihadist groups with similar affiliations in other parts of the world, including Syria and several areas of Africa.
JNIM was formed in March 2017 through the merger of several katibas , under the leadership of Iyad Ag Ghaly. The Islamic State in the Sahel, previously known as ISGS , emerged between 2015 and 2016 around the figure of Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi, who was later killed.
Since 2019, tensions between JNIM and ISS have steadily escalated, leading to increasingly violent clashes. The latest reported incident occurred just a few days ago. According to an report published by Amaq, the Islamic State's propaganda agency, ISS fighters allegedly killed around 400 JNIM members during fierce fighting in Oudalan Province, in northern Burkina Faso, while also inflicting heavy losses in weapons and motorcycles. The report, however, has not been independently confirmed.
According to Amaq, the fighting began on 9 October in the village of Ganadaouri, where ISS militants reportedly repelled a large-scale JNIM offensive. The clashes are said to have lasted approximately an hour and a half.
Earlier, on 1 September, JNIM and ISS clashed in Mali near N'Daki, in the Timbuktu region close to the border with Burkina Faso. ISS emerged victorious, reportedly killing around 100 JNIM fighters, including a senior commander. These clashes followed the killing by JNIM, on 17 August, of Abou Zeid, the head of ISS in Burkina Faso, and commander Saad.
At the heart of the conflict lie political and doctrinal differences between the two jihadist organisations.
JNIM adopts a relatively pragmatic approach and is deeply rooted in local communities. It primarily targets state institutions and their symbols, negotiates with local elites and, in areas under its control, imposes a relatively flexible system of governance. This includes mechanisms such as zakat , dispute mediation and corrective sanctions, rather than exemplary public punishments. It also tends to avoid practices such as beheadings and public stonings, partly in an effort to preserve a degree of popular support.
ISS, on the other hand, follows a more hard-line approach. It is more inclined to declare Muslims whom it considers insufficiently aligned with its ideology to be unbelievers, targets civilians accused of collaborating with the enemy, and relies on exemplary and punitive violence as a central instrument of control.
Alongside their confrontation with one another, both groups continue to fight the security forces of the three Sahelian countries. The heaviest price is paid by local populations, who remain exposed to violence perpetrated by all sides in the conflict.

Ouagadougou (Fides News Agency) — A war within a war is being fought in the sands of the Sahara, i

Fides News Agency

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