This month, dozens of Christians have been killed in towns and villages across Nigeria’s Middle Belt, most recently around Easter, according to information sent to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) by local Catholic leaders.

"I saw a ball of fire, and the roof began to fall. I covered my head with my arms and ran out of the church, where I found my father. I was in shock. My father asked me where my mother was, and I raced back into the church. I found her in the benches, injured and dying."

For more than 30 years, the eastern part of the country has been subject to violence carried out by 120 armed militias, who fight over territory and seek to exploit natural resources. These armed groups include the March 23 Movement (M23) and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which is affiliated with the Islamic State. According to the United Nations, the conflict in the eastern Congo has resulted in six million deaths since 1996. The Congolese army has been unable to ...

“At the moment, we are living in a very polarized environment. There is a lot of pressure to pick a camp and make accusations, but if you do so, you become part of this game. The reality is very complicated, with many ‘footnotes,’ ‘brackets,’ and ‘parentheses.’”

“The origin of ACN is closely linked to the apparitions and grace of Fátima, where Our Lady chose to show the Church the path to triumph over evil in the world: through love, prayer, sacrifice, and consecration to her Immaculate Heart."

"Despite its natural wealth, and income generated by exports of wood and oil, the people are very poor, not only financially, but morally, too. Congo-Brazzaville has a turbulent history, which has left its mark on the population."