Religious Freedom Concerns in Central Africa

This factsheet highlights challenges facing freedom of religion or belief in several countries in Central Africa, such as Central African Republic (CAR), Cameroon, and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The politicization of religious identity and infrastructure in civil conflicts in Central Africa poses significant risks for religious freedom in the region. Ethnoreligious tensions in CAR have yielded human rights abuses based on ethnoreligious identity. In the context of Cameroon’s secessionist conflict, both government and rebel actors have targeted houses of worship and religious leaders with violence and intimidation. In DRC, religious and non-religious armed groups in the east of the country have attacked houses of worship, while the government has failed to protect vulnerable religious actors from violence. U.S. embassies and the U.S. Department of State regional bureaus setting policy in the region should strengthen efforts to promote freedom of religion or belief in the context of these political crises and violent conflicts.