Mali Christians celebrate Christmas in church for the first time in three years under police protection
Christians in the predominantly Muslim town of Gao, northern Mali have returned to their church to celebrate Christmas under the protection of the police. It was the first service held at the church since it was torched by Islamic extremists when they took over the major towns in northern Mali in 2012.
Christians and Muslims were able to live peacefully in the town before the al-Qaeda-linked militants took over and imposed strict Islamic law. The Christians who fled the jihadist occupation have returned to rebuild the congregation.
The police kept watch as the worshippers met at the Catholic Church for the Saturday night and Sunday morning services. Only several dozen people turned up at the church this year for the Saturday night service, the Associated Press reported.
Philippe Omore, the president of the Christian community in Gao, said that about 125 to 150 Christians have returned to the town, but that was only half of what the population used to be.
"The congregants have been fearful - they don't want to come to the church yet so we must raise awareness," he told AP.
Many of the extremists that ruled the town came from other countries such as Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, and Mauritania. The town was liberated by French forces in 2013, but Christians who fled to southern and central Mali waited about a year before they returned to make sure the peace would hold.
The Christians are now tasked with rebuilding the church that was destroyed by the extremists.
"Christmas brings us joy in spite of the security threats," said the Rev. Afeku Anthero, a priest from Uganda.
"On this night, God sent us his son as the prince of peace. Peace should reign in our hearts, in the Christian community and in our country. This is especially important for Mali where we need peace and where it has been difficult to reconcile and unite us," he said.
Omore said that Christians who have returned used to walk freely outside of the town, but that is no longer possible.
"We miss it, and we want to live as we did in the past - free and without fear for our safety," he said.
On Saturday, a female French aid worker named Sophie Petronin, who runs an organization to help malnourished children in Gao, was abducted. As many as 13 French citizens have been kidnapped or killed in the region by extremists linked to the terror group AQIM between 2010 and 2013.
