'Do not grant them space to operate'
Nations that allow Muslim terror organizations to exist, even if they are minority groups, increasingly are facing the threat of deadly violence from them, according to a new report.
It is the Gatestone Institute that confirms Uganda, for example, has faced a growing threat from Islamic groups including Allied Democratic Forces-National Army for the Liberation of Uganda and the Islamic State.
The report explains Christian persecution monitor Open Doors has pointed out that the organizations have claimed responsibility for deadly violence.
"Uganda and other African nations – especially Sudan, Nigeria, Algeria, Tunisia, Burkina Faso, Chad, Ivory Coast, Mali, Madagascar, Mozambique, Mauritania, Cameroon, Kenya, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Tanzania – are increasingly suffering at the hands of radical Islamists," the report confirmed.
"They are proof of how much even majority non-Muslim, secular nations are vulnerable at the hands of jihadist groups. To prevent jihadists from massacring, abusing or enslaving non-Muslims, and taking over the continent, countries need immediately to crack down on all extremist groups. Do not grant them space to operate."
An example of the violence is the attack on a Christian boarding school in Uganda just about a year ago. Islamic terrorists there murdered 42 people.
The terrorists invaded the grounds of the Mpondwe Lhubiriha Secondary School and "firebombed student dormitories."
"Students fleeing the fire were either gunned down or hacked to death with machetes. Students trapped in the dormitories burned to death as the terrorists shouted 'Allahu akbar!' … Some of the victims' bodies, burnt beyond recognition, required DNA testing to identify them. Six students were kidnapped," the report confirmed.
The report explained a "majority" in Uganda, 49.7 million, is Christian. And Muslims are 14% of the population.
Even so, "Uganda has faced a growing threat from radical Islamic groups" that target Christians.
In other attacks by Muslim terrorists, a honeymoon couple and their guide were murdered, and an attack on a village left a 75-year-old woman and her two grandchildren dead.
Open Doors confirms, "ADF-NALU, formed in 1995, aims to establish an Islamic state in Uganda and has been a recurrent source of violence. Its founder, Jamil Mukulu, was arrested in 2015 and faces multiple charges, including terrorism. ADF-NALU operatives, trained in North Kivu (DRC), continue to infiltrate Uganda. ADF-NALU has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. Meanwhile, ISIS has also claimed responsibility for various attacks."
Other terror groups are deploying "trained fighters" there and using explosives to target and kill.
Open Doors added, "In parts of Uganda, especially in the eastern region where the Muslim community makes up the majority, the hostility faced by Christians, particularly by converts from Islam, is severe. Christians in these areas are frequently targeted for bullying and harassment that can escalate to severe consequences like community expulsion, physical assaults, and in extreme cases, even killings."
The report noted Africa "has become a major focus of ISIS' post-caliphate strategy, and Uganda appears to be one of the jihadists' targets."
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