Save the Persecuted Christians

Save The Persecuted Christians is a U.S. 501(c)3 educational non-profit. STPC educates leaders and the public on anti-Christian violence in America and beyond.

[Save the Persecuted Christians @PersecutedSave]

Available to WATCH

Nigeria Update Episode 4 | Slavery in Nigeria, Then and Now

Episode 4 of @PersecutedSave’s Nigeria Update, a biweekly current events briefing on Nigeria, co-hosts Dede Laugesen and Stephen Osemwegie will be joined by human rights and religious freedom experts Dr. Charles Jacobs and Douglas Burton, among others, to analyze the historic and ongoing Islamic slave trade in Nigeria.

With @SaveNigeria

https://t.co/hjY5vZE7HZ

[Save the Persecuted Christians @PersecutedSave]

A Catholic Bishop was killed by assailants who stormed his home in Mozambique.

This is the second shooting death of a Catholic prelate.

[Uche is a girl @UcheMaryOkoli]

A Catholic Bishop was murdered in cold blood in his home. 😱💔

🚨 BREAKING: Bishop Osório Citora Afonso of the Catholic Diocese of Quelimane has died after a gunshot attack at his residence in the early hours of June 6. He was just 54 years old.

Authorities say unknown assailants entered the bishop's residence and shot him in the chest. An investigation is now underway as Church leaders call for prayers and seek answers surrounding the shocking incident.

Bishop Afonso was known for his calls for peace, unity, and solidarity with communities suffering from violence in Mozambique. Only weeks ago, he publicly condemned terrorist attacks and urged Catholics to remain united in faith.

Please join us in praying for the repose of his soul and for the Catholic faithful of Mozambique during this painful time.

🙏 Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.

#CatholicNews #Mozambique
News source: Catholic Gospel Media.

[Save the Persecuted Christians @PersecutedSave]

Ethiopian Christians killed during the elections. News of the attacks are just coming to light.

[DNE Africa @africa_dne]

Dozens of Orthodox Christians Reportedly Killed in Fresh Violence in Ethiopia’s Arsi Zone

At least 37 Orthodox Christian civilians have reportedly been killed in a new wave of violence in Ethiopia’s Arsi Zone of the Oromia region, according to church sources, raising fresh concerns over security and communal tensions in the area.

The attacks allegedly occurred in Tefa Kebele of Aleko Teleta District and began on the eve of Ethiopia’s general election, according to reports received by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Church officials say several other residents remain unaccounted for, raising fears that the death toll could increase.

The violence reportedly targeted multiple communities and religious sites. Among the most significant incidents was the destruction of St. Gabriel Church, a century-old Orthodox church that was reportedly burned to the ground. A letter sent by local church authorities to the Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarchate confirmed the destruction of the church and detailed the scale of the attacks.

According to church officials, more than 280 households were displaced after armed assailants attacked villages, burned homes, and forced residents to flee. Church authorities described the events as a large-scale assault that caused extensive human and material losses.

The attacks were also reported in several neighboring localities, including Zedibu, Erecha Michael, Sunte Mariam, Bogdo Abo, Lencho Ada, Jiso, and Dire kebeles. Residents and church representatives said homes, livestock, and other property were looted or destroyed during the violence.

In a separate incident, a facility used by Holy Saviour Church for religious activities and guest accommodation in Kore Kuftele was reportedly damaged.

Church sources said the attacks continued on election day and criticized what they described as a delayed security response from local authorities. However, government officials have not publicly commented on the latest allegations.

Abune Elsae, Archbishop of the Arsi and Somali Jigjiga dioceses, confirmed that attacks had taken place and submitted a report to the Patriarchate listing victims and documenting damage caused during the violence.

The latest incident follows a series of deadly attacks reported in parts of Arsi and other areas of Oromia in recent years. Church leaders and community representatives have repeatedly raised concerns over the security situation and called for stronger measures to protect civilians and religious institutions.

In March 2026, church sources reported that more than 30 Orthodox Christians were killed in a separate attack in Arsi, while hundreds of residents were displaced.

Federal and regional authorities have previously stated that security operations have significantly weakened armed groups operating in Oromia and rejected accusations that attacks are being carried out on the basis of religion or ethnicity.

The latest reports are likely to intensify calls for an independent investigation into recurring violence in the region and renewed efforts to ensure accountability for attacks against civilians.

[ⓉⓃ @tesfanews]

13 Orthodox Christians Massacred, Historic Church Burned in East Arsi Attacks

ETHIOPIA ― 💥Thirteen Orthodox Christian worshippers have been killed and a century-old church destroyed in a series of attacks in Ethiopia’s East Arsi Zone, according to church officials and local sources.

The incidents took place over two days beginning Sunday 31 May, around the country’s parliamentary election period.

According to local sources, the violence struck communities in Sirie and Asseko woredas, both in the #Oromia region.

Witness accounts and church statements say two people were killed in the Chitu area of Sirie Woreda, while 11 others were killed in Asseko Woreda.

The 101-year-old Tsellota Gabriel Church was also set on fire and completely destroyed.

Abune Elsa, Archbishop of the Arsi and Jijiga Diocese, said in a statement that killings also occurred in Shirka and Enqolo Wabe districts. He added that more than 280 Orthodox Christians were displaced in the attacks.

Documented reports indicate that more than two hundred Orthodox Christians, mostly Amhara, have been killed in the last two years in the East Arsi Zone alone.

Local authorities have not publicly confirmed about the incident.

Human rights groups and government critics have accused the administration of PM Abiy Ahmed of repeatedly denying or downplaying reports of extrajudicial killings of civilians.

[Save the Persecuted Christians @PersecutedSave]

Bob Fu, now a U.S. citizen, at ChinaAid is a longtime activist for China’s underground Christian churches. Thankfully, some persecuted Early Rain Covenant Church members have found asylum in the U.S.
His commitment to freedom and the U.S. way of life is unconditional.
From Tiananmen Square to Washington, DC, Bob Fu has stayed the course as a foreign-born patriot, a freedom fighter with heart.

[ChinaAid @chinaaid]

Thirty-seven years ago today, my life changed forever. I stood in Tiananmen Square with millions of students crying out for freedom.
https://t.co/YcGLeFtQ57

[Save the Persecuted Christians @PersecutedSave]

Pentecostal Christians in Nigeria cry out.

[Silenced 🐴🐭 Ms. Information @C19VaxInjured]

Today in Washington, DC: Protest against the Kagame regime and its policies in Rwanda, as demonstrators call for accountability, human rights, democracy, and peace in the Great Lakes region of Africa. 🇷🇼✊

[Save the Persecuted Christians @PersecutedSave]

A whole bunch of orphaned and extremely vulnerable children are living in official and non-official IDP camps because their homes and villages have been raided and occupied by terrorists.

How many?

We don’t know because Nigeria stopped tracking the numbers in 2008, just as the jihad ramped up.

Nigeria needs a census of orphans and other vulnerable children, widows and IDPs. Trump and Rubio should insist.

Read more at https://t.co/a2DQPJh5Js

[Save the Persecuted Christians @PersecutedSave]

Another can’t miss program airing Wednesday, May 27 at 1 pm ET

Is Sharia a Religion of Peace or a Strategy for War?

https://t.co/6BXEtV2idv

[Save the Persecuted Christians @PersecutedSave]

Join us at 11 a.m. ET, Wednesday, May 27, for our next Nigeria Update, Episode 4, “Slavery in Nigeria, Then and Now,” as we dig deep into the ongoing crisis of human trafficking and captivity as it relates to history and the modern context of terrorism, genocide, and efforts to end it in Africa.
Moderator
•Dede Laugesen, President and CEO, Save the Persecuted Christians
Co-Host
•Stephen Osemwegie, President, Save Nigeria Group
Panelists
•Dr. Charles Jacobs, President of Americans for Peace and Tolerance (APT) and Board member of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME); Professor of Public Law and Political Science at Washington & Jefferson College
•Pastor John Haruna, Senior Christian clergyman based in the Kuru District of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria at Church of Christ in Nations
•Douglas Burton, Editor, https://t.co/Jz3aSsGhzt
•Mike Arnold, President, Arise Africa

https://t.co/hjY5vZE7HZ

[Save the Persecuted Christians @PersecutedSave]

11 am ET, WEDNESDAY, May 27 - TOMORROW

SIGNUP & SHARE

https://t.co/5l4Yxk55pu

[Save the Persecuted Christians @PersecutedSave]

Nursing Mother Resisted Conversion to Islam During 7-Month Hostage Nightmare

(Maduguri) Nigeria has a hall of heroic women and girls who chose risk of death over forced conversion: foremost among them Leah Sharibu, a teenager kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists in 2018 and still a hostage of the terrorists occupying the forests bordering Lake Chad. 

 Yet, a new chapter of faith under fire could be written about newly emerged  Comfort Sunday, a  25-year-old Christian, who recently broke out of seven months of brutal captivity under suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists.

 She emerged clutching her two-month-old baby born in the terrorist camp alongside 20-year-old Rose Adamu.

Their escape underscores the relentless suffering inflicted on Christian women and girls simply for refusing to renounce their faith in Christ.

https://t.co/uG5kehVrHD

[Save the Persecuted Christians @PersecutedSave]

New Delhi is walking on thin ice as @SecRubio prepares to visit. Calls for Modi’s BJP parliament to drop its proposed amendments to its Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).

If passed, the Indian government could seize the property and financial assets of mostly Christian entities and organizations that accept foreign funding.

Congressman Chris Smith calls on Secretary Rubio to raise the issue when he visits India.

https://t.co/ToX7w9lV9o

[Save the Persecuted Christians @PersecutedSave]

Join @frankgaffneyand friends tomorrow night, 7 pm ET.

https://t.co/l1PQZ6YLt1

[Save the Persecuted Christians @PersecutedSave]

This is wise legislation.

[Rep. Chip Roy Press Office @RepChipRoy]

NEW: Rep. Roy introduces the Inhibiting Militant Adversarial Mullahs (IMAM) Act, barring anti-American foreign clerics from invading our country.

“‘The United States should never roll out the red carpet for foreign clerics who preach anti-American hatred, celebrate terrorism, or serve as mouthpieces for radical regimes,’ Rep. Roy told @DailySignal @pedrobrodrigue7 in a statement.”
https://t.co/30sSsQ58Sg

[Save the Persecuted Christians @PersecutedSave]

Thank you, President Trump.

@MikeArnoldTruth @StephenOSEMWEGI and I are with @BISHOPFLOWERS in San Antonio for a two-day conference on the genocidal violence in Nigeria.

@ezekieldachomo0 just called in from Nigeria.

He is the truth teller. Thank God for President Trump and Rev. Danchomo.

They speak TRUTH.

[Save the Persecuted Christians @PersecutedSave]

@nadinemaenza @USCIRF @POTUS @SpeakerJohnson @RepJeffries @johnthune @SenSchumer There are many willing to serve.

We need good commissioners to help objectively make nonpartisan decisions on religious freedom designations to the U.S. Department of State.

The USCIRF is an essential tool in the U.S. foreign policy toolkit.

[Save the Persecuted Christians @PersecutedSave]

Very concerning

[Nadine Maenza @nadinemaenza]

Right now, @USCIRF has ZERO Commissioners.

We urge @POTUS and congressional leaders to promptly appoint — or reappoint — Commissioners.

Appointments remaining:
@POTUS: 3
@SpeakerJohnson: 1
@RepJeffries: 2
@johnthune: 1
@SenSchumer: 2

At a time of growing religious persecution and instability around the world, the US cannot allow a gap in this important bipartisan religious freedom institution.

[Save the Persecuted Christians @PersecutedSave]

Watch this case as it proceeds through the East African Court of Justice.

“…Christians from the Banyamulenge community in the DRC are now significantly hindered in their ability to worship, gather and live out their faith.”

Religious leaders in the community seek the restoration of the many churches and religious properties unjustly destroyed by the Congolese army.

We are grateful to @Sean_ADFIntl for taking on this righteous case.

[Sean Nelson @Sean_ADFIntl]

❗️CASE FILED: In January, DRC forces pushed M23 rebels out of the city of Uvira.

But members of these forces and aligned militias then targeted, attacked, and destroyed Christian churches, charities, and homes of the Banyamulenge ethnic group.

We @ADFIntl are supporting a case at the East Africa Court of Justice to bring accountability and help these communities worship again.

[Save the Persecuted Christians @PersecutedSave]

Nigeria, where citizens are disarmed and terrorists are well-armed.
The government is at fault and often complicit in arming the bad guys and prosecuting the unarmed innocent.
It’s insane.

[Steven Kefas @SKefason]

In Nigeria, dane guns and other locally made weapons victims use for self defense are illegal but AK-47, 49, RPGs, AAs and other sophisticated weapons used by terrorists to attack and kill women are legal that is why the former get arrested and jailed while the latter pose for tiktok videos.