In an interview to Radio vatican, Mgr. Michel Cartatéguy, archbishop of Niamey, said all his incomprehension and his fear. He was interviewed by Jean-Baptiste Cocagne.

Here is Joseph Aboubacar‘s testimony, a French teacher at the high school ELIM in Niamey:
This morning, I visited certain burned-out, catholic and Protestant churches. 45 churches burned, and calcined. Two Christian schools burned-out: l’EAU VIVE and Mission school of Kindergarten at Banifandou. There was no claiming from any groupe of these barbaric acts for the moment.

The survey is in progress. 189 extremists in Niamey were arrested, generally youth. They are really barbaric. They destroy and kill with an incredible, indescribable violence. They destroy, plunder, steal and set on fire everything on their passage: buildings, documents, Bibles, dogs… Both dogs of the priest of Saint-Paul were thrown in to the fire. The smells are unbearable. 10 died for the moment. A waitress of a bar named Florence Dovi died suffocating; a calcined body found in the catholic Mission of Zinder. This body is not identified. The catholic schools are closed until further notice. It is forbidden to enter the Cathedral. It is written at the entrance gate: the activities are suspended until further notice. These extremists are guided, controlled or provoked by radio or TV. They use in every church the same modus operandi: they cut faucets, they chase away the guardians, they use tires and petrol bottles to commit their crimes. Some are in vehicles and give orders. Others in motorcycle. The demonstrators chant the slogan: “Allahou Akbar” or ” We are not Charlie “. The Christians are not the only ones to undergo the damages. Owners of bars, restaurants are also touched. Certain Christian families do not have a place of residence anymore. There is almost no more church. Churches are not many in Niamey. There are only three catholic parishes: St Jean (a little burned, windows and main entrance broken), Cathedral and St. Michel of Airport. How to reconstruct our churches? Can we be safe? From now on, how will the Christians look at Muslims? Will not they make the mixture? Yes, many Christians risk to make the mixture between the Islam and the Islamism. Anti-charlie and anti-Christian demonstrations took place on January 16th in Agadez, (the North of Niger), in Zinder, 2nd city of Niger and on January 17th in Niamey. But it is in Zinder and Niamey that the Christians were persecuted. These demonstrations were not authorized. Everything is quiet today. Apparently, the tragedy is ended. The authorities of Niger declared that the opposition political parties are the cause of these violent and barbaric demonstrations. According to the government, the young people and even minors were manipulated to attack the Christians, the French and in the party offices of the party in power. The governor of Niamey declared that 15 Christian families are without places of residence. During this cold, they are in difficult conditions. 45 churches burned according to the police report (Sahel TV news of 8:30 am, local time; on Sunday, January 19th). The House of the first Christian of Zinder was completely burned. The demonstrators waved the flag of boko haram in Zinder. This act can give way to Boko Haram, a Nigerian terrorist group, in Niger. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Cooperation, Bazoum Mohamed, pays tribute to the Christian leaders for their behavior. They did not go out to make a public statement to notify the national and international opinion on their persecution. Personal analysis: I think that the Christians did not go out to make a public statement because they are afraid of being the target of threats, of adding fuel to the fire. Thank you.

“Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est”.
ABOUBACAR Joseph
French teacher at Lycée ELIM