Cameroon

What does persecution look like

Followers of Jesus in Cameroon can face persecution on multiple fronts. In the northern regions, Islamic extremism is spreading, as violence by Boko Haram and other Islamic militant groups targets Christians. Believers in this area can face abductions, church burnings and exclusion from community life. Converts from Islam face severe risks – owning a Bible can provoke violence, and women are often forced into marriage.

Additionally, pressure comes from instability. Clan-based control, organised crime and corruption further deepen Christians’ vulnerability, especially where state authority is absent or complicit. Under broad anti-terror laws, Christians who speak out against state abuses face surveillance, intimidation or even arrest. Hundreds of churches that criticised the regime have been closed. Challenges to government inaction in the face of jihadist and clan-based persecution usually provoke reprisals. This has fostered a climate of fear and has silenced Christian leadership, weakening community resilience and access to justice.

What has changed this year

Cameroon has risen six places from last year’s World Watch List, mostly due to an increase in pressure in national life. In 2025, the church in Cameroon faced unrelenting pressure from all sides, with no signs of improvement. Once again, areas where Islamic militants are active, Christians –especially converts from Islam – face severe pressure to renounce their faith. In these regions, oppression has moved beyond social pressure to an existential threat, leaving Christians unable to practise their faith openly.

Who is the most vulnerable to persecution

Cameroon’s governance and security landscape is fractured, with Christians in three major regions experiencing sustained violence. In the far north, Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) target Christians through village raids, church attacks, school burnings, and abductions, forcing many to flee or live in fear. In the country’s north west and south west regions, Christians are trapped between separatist militias and government forces. In every area, Christian converts from Islam experience the greatest pressure and violence from family and community.

How women experience persecution

In Cameroon’s far north, Boko Haram and ISWAP abduct Christian women and girls, forcing them into marriage, sexual slavery or even using them as suicide bombers. The conflict in parts of the country has intensified risks, with government forces and separatists committing gender-based violence. Female converts from Muslim or animist backgrounds face house arrest, forced marriage or expulsion from their families. Married converts risk divorce, child custody loss, and disinheritance. Poverty and displacement increase their vulnerability, leaving many trapped in cycles of exploitation and abuse.

How men experience persecution

Christian men and boys in Cameroon face severe persecution, particularly in the far north and other regions where there is internal conflict. Boko Haram and separatist militants abduct, torture and forcibly recruit men and boys, targeting church leaders, students and teachers. Schools remain unsafe, as mission schools have been attacked and clergy kidnapped. Men who resist corruption or who speak out against injustice risk arrest, torture or economic boycotts. Converts from Islam risk rejection, loss of inheritance, and coerced marriages. Many men flee to escape violence, leaving families impoverished and communities weakened.

What Open Doors does to help

Along with partners and local churches, Open Doors serves Christians in Cameroon through persecution-preparedness seminars, biblical discipleship training, socio-economic aid and other support. The aim is to equip persecuted Christians in Cameroon to be spiritually, emotionally and socio-politically resilient to the threats they face.

Pray

Pray for stability to spread throughout Cameroon. Pray for Cameroon’s leaders to work to provide safety for every citizen.

The far north of Cameroon remains an incredibly dangerous place for Christians. Ask God to keep His people safe and protect them from Boko Haram raids.

Pray for the economic empowerment projects led by Open Doors partners in Cameroon. Pray that God would bless these efforts and use them to strengthen believers to follow Him, no matter what.

Heavenly Father, we ask You to be with and sustain Your people in Cameroon. Be with those who are displaced; comfort those who have endured violence and lost loved ones; restore those who have lost so much. Be the shield and strong rock (Psalm 18:2) for Christians in Cameroon. We ask this for the sake of Your Son, Jesus, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.