Persecution of Christians in Cameroon: the murder of this Bible translator appears to have been carried out by Fulani radicals, but note that local Christians have said that the killers were “encouraged by government actors to carry out attacks against separatist-supporting farming communities.” It is a recurring phenomenon all over the world: the persecution of Christians in Cameroon and elsewhere is not opposed, but actually supported and sometimes even aided by the very government officials who should be protecting Christian communities.
About 70% of Cameroon’s population is Christian. Orthodox Christianity has a recent presence there, arriving in the country in 1951. Greek merchants at that time immigrated to Cameroon and established Orthodox churches. In the 1980s, Holy Orthodoxy began spreading to the native population, under the auspices of the Church of Alexandria. The Archdiocese of Cameroon was established in 1959 and is under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Alexandria.
Please pray that Almighty God would restore peace to Cameroon and provide for a flourishing of Orthodoxy there.
For previous ChristianPersecution.com coverage of the persecution of Christians in Cameroon, see here.
“Bible translator murdered in his home,” by Nate Flannagan, Christian Today, October 25, 2019:
A second Bible translator has been killed by suspected Fulani extremists in southern Cameroon this week.
Bible translator, Benjamin Tem, was murdered in his home in the Wum region on Sunday night, reported Efi Tembon, a Cameroonian activist who heads a ministry called Oasis Network for Community Transformation.
Tem served the Aghem Bible Translation Project, which completed a New Testament translation in the Aghem language in 2016. Tem, 48, was also a promoter of Bible listening groups in the Wum area. His funeral took place on Monday, and the tragedy sees him leave behind 5 children.
Those responsible for the killing have not been found yet, however, locals have blamed Fulani radicals, saying they have been encouraged by government actors to carry out attacks against separatist-supporting farming communities.
Fulani herders in Africa have clashed with farmers over land rights to graze cattle.
“He was attacked last night by people suspected to be pro-government Fulani herdsmen. They butchered him and cut his throat,” Tembon posted on Facebook….
