Also on February 3, gunmen attacked the village of Intissalatene in the area of Tollel-Kaya in Oudalan Province, firing gunshots in the air, burning alcohol beverage outlets and a school, and stealing motorbikes belonging to teachers. Members of the Burkinabe Muslim Community Organization, the Catholic Archdiocese of Ouagadougou, and the Federation of Evangelical Churches stated that despite the increase in religiously motivated attacks, religious tolerance remained widespread, and numerous examples existed of families of mixed faiths and religious leaders attending each other’s holidays and celebrations. Slightly larger than Colorado, Burkina Faso, formerly known as Upper Volta, is a landlocked country in West Africa. Although media reports suggested his remains had been found, the Catholic Church had not confirmed this as of year’s end. The government provides subsidies to a number of Catholic schools as part of an agreement allowing students from public schools to enroll in Catholic schools when public schools are at full capacity. Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom, Section IV. Burkina Faso is a low income country with a population of 18.4 million and GDP of $12 billion. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Burkina Faso 2020 information contained here. Religions are vectors of tolerance, and these barbarous and villainous attacks reflect on the nature of the enemy, which we must fight, in an individual and collective commitment of every moment.”. In multiple public statements, then mayor of Djibo (Soum Province, Sahel Region) Oumarou Dicko, who on November 3 was killed by terrorists, allegedly for political motives, at Namsiguia, in the Center North Region, said that there was no indigenous conflict among religions in countries in the Sahel, and that despite the terrorist group Ansarul Islam claiming its origins in the country, religious freedom and tolerance remained strong in countries throughout the embattled Sahel. [2][3], Statistics on religious affiliation are approximate because Syncretism, incorporating traditional indigenous beliefs and practices, is widespread among both Christians and Muslims. The government issued a statement saying, “These terrorist groups are now attacking religion with the macabre aim of dividing us.” On April 28, armed individuals attacked a Protestant church in the village of Silgadji at the end of service. According to President Kabore, the terrorists appear to have shifted their tactics from stoking conflict between farmers and herders to inducing a similar divide between Muslims and Christians. According to President Roch Marc Christian Kabore, terrorists appear to have shifted their tactics from stoking conflict between farmers and herders to inducing a similar divide between Muslims and Christians. The government stated the incident was the work of terrorists who opposed secular education and wanted to scare other teachers into abandoning their posts. French is the official language, although it is not widely spoken. On March 17, gunmen kidnapped Father Joel Yougbare, a Catholic priest, between Botogui and Djibo in Soum Province. Some imams were killed after being accused of collaborating with security forces. The country is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. In February embassy officials invited religious leaders from the Sahel Region to serve as panelists during a seminar that opened a military exercise between the U.S. and multiple African partner nations. NOTE: The information regarding Burkina Faso on this page is re-published from the 2020 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. Traditional and animist religious beliefs are practiced throughout the country, especially in rural communities. Burkina Faso (41.2%) Benin (42.4%) Afhganistan (43.0%) The developed nations of the world have much higher literacy rates with smaller gaps – if any – between the genders. [3], There are more than 60 different ethnicities in the country. A poor country even by West African standards, landlocked Burkina Faso has suffered from recurring droughts and, until the 1980s, military coups. These schools are permitted to provide religious instruction to their students. The Government has also estimated that some 23.2 are Christians (16% being Roman Catholics and 3.2% members of various Protestant denominations), 15.3% follow Traditional indigenous beliefs such as the Dogon religion, 0.6% have other religions, and 0.4% have none (atheism is virtually nonexistent). These Burkina Faso facts and statistics provide a good picture of the reality of poverty and how child sponsorship through Compassion is making a difference. Global AIDS Coordinator and Global Health Diplomacy, Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Special Representative for Syria Engagement, U.S. Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Office of the U.S. Burkina Faso is a religiously diverse society, with Islam being the dominant religion. Throughout the year, high ranking Muslim and Catholic leaders repeatedly called for an end to violence and urged interfaith tolerance. Moore, the language of the Mossi, is spoken by a great majority of the population, and Dyula is widely used in commerce. Burkina Faso’s National Arbovirus Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Reference Laboratory achieved capacity to test for Lassa fever, Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever, Rift Valley fever, dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses enabling accurate identification and faster containment … Protestant Christianity in Burkina Faso is the minority religion as it constitutes only 5.5% of the entire population. On May 14, presumed terrorists killed an imam and his son near the village of Sambonay. Embassy officials raised the increase in religiously motivated attacks, particularly in the Sahel and East Regions, with the government, including the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, the Ministries of Defense and Security, and the Office of the President. The U.S. government estimates the total population at 20.3 million (midyear 2019 estimate). The government allocated 75 million CFA francs ($129,000) each to the Muslim, Catholic, Protestant, and traditional animistic communities. On April 1, the Ambassador met with Cheick Abdul Aziz Aguib Sore, a prominent regional religious preacher, leader, and advocate for peace. Bishop Justin Kientenga of the Catholic Diocese of Ouahigouya in the northeast part of the country described the event as a terrorist attack. Population ages 25-29, female (% of female population) Age dependency ratio (% of working-age population) Population ages 65 and above (% of total population) Population ages 65 and above, total. A significant number of Sunni Muslims identify with the Tijaniyah Sufi order. This is an opportunity for me to urge Burkinabe, of all religious denominations and all social and community origins, to remain united and in solidarity. On May 25, according to local media, villagers adhering to an indigenous religion destroyed and ransacked several Protestant churches in the village of Lena and neighboring Oulana, following a dispute between a traditionalist/animist youth and Protestant youth. [1] The vast majority of Muslims in Burkina Faso are Malikite Sunni, deeply influenced by Sufism. The index measures the amount of human capital that a child born today can expect to attain by age 18, given the risks of poor health and poor education that prevail in the country where she lives. According to the 2006 census, 61 percent of the population is Muslim, predominantly Sunni, 19 percent is Roman Catholic, 4 percent belong to various Protestant groups, and 15 percent maintain exclusively indigenous beliefs. The capital has a mixed Muslim and Christian population. At the iftar he gave joint remarks with the minister of territorial administration and decentralization and stressed the importance of religious tolerance. Burkina Faso Religion, Economy and Politics The majority of the population in Burkina Faso, 60.5%, practice Islam. 03 / Select Countries You can add more than one country or area. Some attacks took place at houses of worship, both Christian and Muslim, during prayers or services. The country was once named after the rivers flowing through it. The Lobi people originally came from Ghana and settled in Southern Burkina Faso in 1770 after the Mossi settled in the North. Domestic and transnational terrorist groups continued to operate throughout the year and carried out targeted killings of at least 38 individuals based on their religious identity, according to media reports. Burkina Faso has significant reserves of gold, but cotton is the economic mainstay for many Burkinabes. The law allows all organizations, religious or otherwise, to register with the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, which oversees religious affairs. During the year, the embassy conducted regular outreach with imams, Catholic priests, and Protestant leaders to understand the current threat to religious freedom and tolerance in the country as a result of the unprecedented violence against both Christian and Muslim worshippers. Goods and services account for 85.4% and 14.6% of exports, respectively. Lounge suits for men and formal wear for women are required for evenin… Population. Religious groups operate under the same regulatory framework for publishing and broadcasting as other entities. The government generally does not fund religious schools or require them to pay taxes unless they conduct for-profit activities. Religious leaders stated the Muslim and Protestant federations were often undermined by small new religious groups not falling under their oversight and took positions counter to the federation’s messages of tolerance. Comments across news editorials and social media singled out the government’s response to the May 12 attack on a Catholic church in Dablo, a town in the Center North Region, as especially negligent. Explore the latest news and statistics on religion in Burkina Faso, including demographics, restrictions and more. During the year, embassy officers conducted regular outreach with imams, Catholic priests, and Protestant leaders to understand the current threat to religious freedom and tolerance in the wake of the unprecedented violence against both Christian and Muslim worshippers perpetrated by terrorists. Thirty-one nations reported literacy rates of 99.0% or above. As of August, terrorist violence forced 2,024 schools to close, depriving more than 330,000 children of education, according to UNICEF. Academic and other observers stated that the “stigmatization” of the mostly Muslim ethnic Fulani community because of their perceived sympathy for Islamists aggravated existing societal tensions and posed a threat to stability. miles). During a year that observers stated was characterized by “unprecedented violence” against religious persons and entities by terrorists and violent extremists, high ranking Muslim and Catholic leaders repeatedly called for nonviolence and urged interfaith tolerance. There are three main rivers in Burkina Faso: the Black, White and Red Voltas, which flow into Ghana. The United Nations Statistics Division collects, compiles and disseminates official demographic and social statistics on a wide range of topics. Human rights organizations and religious groups expressed concern that the increase in religiously targeted violence threatened the “traditional peaceful coexistence” of religious groups in the country. Burkina Faso ranked 4th last for islam > percentage muslim amongst Muslim countries in … The presence and activities of Islamist armed groups have increasingly impacted the Sahel, Centre-Nord, Nord, Est, and Boucle du Mouhoun regions, although the influence of such groups can also be seen in the regions bordering Mali and across to the Niger border. During a series of terrorist attacks on gendarme and police stations in Soum, North, and Oudalan Provinces, terrorist groups demanded that civilians vacate their towns, according to local residents quoted by media. Members of the Burkinabe Muslim Community Organization, the Catholic Archdiocese of Ouagadougou, and the Federation of Evangelical Churches stated that despite the increase in religiously motivated attacks, religious tolerance remained widespread, and numerous examples existed of families of mixed faiths and religious leaders attending each other’s holidays and celebrations. Burkina Faso (formerly known as Upper Volta; French: Haute Volta) is a landlocked country located in the middle of West Africa's "hump." [3] Small Syrian and Lebanese immigrant communities reside in the two largest cities, and are overwhelmingly (more than 90 percent) Christian. The Ambassador hosted an iftar during Ramadan, attended by Muslim, Christian, and other religious leaders as well as senior government officials, to encourage religious freedom and tolerance. Popular statistical tables, country (area) and regional profiles . These beliefs are str… U.S. embassy officials discussed the increase in religiously motivated attacks, particularly in the Sahel and East Regions, with the government, including the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, the Ministries of Defense and Security, and the Office of the President. A virtual guide to Burkina Faso, the 'land of the upright/honest people'. Registration confers legal status, and the process usually takes approximately three to four weeks and costs less than 50,000 CFA francs ($86). The Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization may request copies of proposed publications and broadcasts to verify they are in accordance with the nature of the religious group as stated in their registration, and it may conduct permit application reviews. You can add more than one country or area. The government continued to routinely approve applications from religious groups for registration, according to religious group leaders, although the government announced it rejected some on “moral” grounds. On February 3, militants burned a school in the village of Salmossi. They form 4.7% of Burkina Faso’s population and … On August 4, militants attacked two churches in the village of Tialboanga, one Catholic and one Protestant, and killed three worshippers; the attack was the first armed attack targeting the Christian community in the eastern part of the country according to observers. Less than 1 percent is atheist or belongs to other religious groups. Media reported that the terrorist groups regularly targeted Muslim and Christian clergy, religious congregations, houses of worship, teachers, local government employees, and schools. This industry … Burkina Faso es un estado de África Occidental que limita al noroeste con Malí, al noreste con Níger, al sur con Costa de Marfil, Ghana, Togo y Benín.Burkina Faso no posee acceso al mar.Su capital es Uagadugú.. These three rivers also influenced the country’s name before it became Burkina Faso. Observers stated their participation was a show of solidarity in light of the Muslim casualties of the terrorist violence. Citizens of Burkina Faso, regardless of their ethnic origin, are collectively known as Burkinabé. According to the press, the minors were spared, but the attackers abducted and killed four adults and burned the statue. Although many attacks in the country went unclaimed, observers attributed most to terrorist groups including Ansaroul Islam, JNIM, and ISIS-GS. On February 16, presumed JNIM and/or ISIS-GS militants burned a school in Timambadi. The Ambassador raised the need to counter the threats to the country’s tradition of religious freedom and tolerance as part of his regular messaging during interviews. Sources stated that this funding was meant to demonstrate equitable government support to all religious groups in the country. Religion. Religious education is not allowed in public schools. On February 4, militant group members entered the village of Natiaboani, held sermons, prohibited brewing of traditional beer (dolo), burned a liquor store and a school, and threatened a municipal councilor they accused of cooperating with the administration and defense and security forces. During prayer services in Ouagadougou on Eid al-Fitr on June 4, Vice President of the Muslim Community of Burkina Faso El Hadj Hatimi Deme said, “Muslim affairs need to interest the Christians; Christian affairs need to interest the Muslims.” Prime Minister Dabire, a Christian, and Catholic Archbishop of Ougadougou Cardinal Philippe Ouedraogo also participated in the prayer service and in an iftar, and both called for religious tolerance. Two Catholic parishes in the northern Sahel Region closed due to insecurity. Main article: Religion in Burkina Faso While exact statistics on religious affiliation are not available and vary widely, the Government estimated in its most recent census (1996) that approximately 60 percent of the population practice Islam, and that the majority of this group belong to the Sunni branch. On April 23, terrorists killed a Christian pastor in the village of Botou in the northern Soum Province. Muslim clergy participated in the funeral services of those Christians killed in Dablo and offered prayers for the dead. [2][3], Statistics on religion in Burkina Faso are inexact, because Islam and Christianity are often practiced in tandem with African traditional religions. Members of the largest religious communities promoted interfaith dialogue and tolerance through public institutions, such as the National Observatory of Religious Facts, which conducted awareness campaigns and mediation throughout the country. 1896 - Kingdoms now making up Burkina Faso become a French protectorate, later known as Upper Volta. Examples of attacks against Muslims reported by media, NGOs, and government included the bombing of a Quranic school at Djibo on November 26, and the October 11 attack by armed individuals that killed 16 Muslim worshipers during Friday prayers at a mosque in the northern village of Salmossi. These groups included U.S. designated terrorist groups Ansaroul Islam, Islamic State in Greater Sahara (ISIS-GS), Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), Al Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb, Ansar Dine, and Al-Mourabitoun. They said the lack of oversight made it difficult for the official religious groups to monitor and regulate the activities and messages of these new groups. The Catholic Archdiocese of Ouagadougou cited an interfaith Eid al-Adha celebration in August, in which Christian religious leaders participated alongside their Muslim counterparts, in what they stated was an effort to promote religious tolerance in the country. [3] Almost all citizens are believers, and atheism is virtually nonexistent. In fact, it was considered an exception in a region torn apart by terrorism. According to the 2006 census, 61 percent of the population is Muslim, predominantly Sunni, 19 percent is Roman Catholic, 4 percent belong to various Protestant groups, and 15 percent maintain exclusively indigenous beliefs. In addition, embassy staff met religious leaders at the national and local levels to promote religious freedom, interfaith tolerance, and civil dialogue. Lowest values. In a number of attacks, militants singled out and killed individuals wearing Christian imagery such as crucifixes, according to media reports and church leaders. Currently, 30.0 % of the population of Burkina Faso is urban (6,092,387 people in 2019) Population Density The 2019 population density in Burkina Faso is 74 people per Km 2 (192 people per mi 2 ), calculated on a total land area of 273,600 Km2 (105,638 sq. Burkina Faso has few natural resources, and thus relies primarily on the export of its two cash crops: cotton and gold. On February 4, an unknown individual hacked worshippers with a machete in the central mosque of Gaoua, wounding five. Burkina Faso The Human Capital Index (HCI) database provides data at the country level for each of the components of the Human Capital Index as well as for the overall index, disaggregated by gender. Less than 1 percent is atheist or belongs to other religious groups. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, 2019 Report on International Religious Freedom, Section II. More than half the population is Muslim. The remainder of the population of relatively religiously diverse, with 23.2% practicing Christianity, 15.3% following indigenous beliefs, and the remaining 1% … They also worked through nongovernmental organizations such as the Dori-based Fraternal Union of Believers, which encouraged various religious communities, specifically in the Sahel Region, to conduct socioeconomic activities with the goal of fostering religious tolerance. The government stated it believed individuals associated with terrorist organizations carried out all the religiously-based attacks during the year. These figures should, however, be treated with caution. Protestants are generally against the teaching of the Roman Catholic teachings and majorly based in either Ouagadougou as well as Bobo-Dioulasso. Located in the western part of sub-Saharan Africa, Burkina Faso – one of the world’s poorest countries – used to be considered stable, notwithstanding the fact that it’s home to 26 ethnic groups and 65 languages are spoken here. According to the 2020 estimate by the Pew Research Center, 62.7% of the population adheres to Islam. Religious organizations are not required to register unless they seek legal recognition by the government, but after they are registered, they must comply with applicable regulations required of all registered organizations or be subject to a fine of 50,000 to 150,000 CFA francs ($86 to $260). Population ages 65 and above, female. Domestic and transnational terrorist groups operated throughout the year, which as of September, was described by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) as “on track to be the most violent and deadliest year on record.” These organizations continued and intensified their campaign of violence throughout the year against state entities and civilians and carried out targeted killings of at least 38 persons based on their religious identity, according to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). For example, in Burkina Faso, 45% of people who practice folk religions, 40% of Muslims and 24% of Christians live in polygamous households. [3], "Religious Composition by Country, 2010-2050", "Recensement général de la population et de l'habitation de 2006", "International Religious Freedom Report 2010: Burkina Faso", Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, "Believers in Christ from a Muslim Background: A Global Census", "Enquête Démographique et de Santé et à Indicateurs Multiples (EDSBF-MICS IV) 2010", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Religion_in_Burkina_Faso&oldid=1018841030, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 20 April 2021, at 05:20. Local citizens widely condemned security forces present in Dablo the day of the attack who “could have fought but waited for reinforcements to arrive from 45 kilometers [28 miles] away.”. The government taxes religious groups only if they engage in commercial activities, such as farming or dairy production. The government reviews the curricula of new religious schools as they open and others periodically to ensure they offer the full standard academic curriculum; however, the majority of Quranic schools are not registered, and thus their curricula not reviewed. The Government has also estimated that some 23.2 are Christians (… Statistics on religious affiliation are approximate because Muslims and Christians often adhere simultaneously to some aspects of traditional or animist religious beliefs. On October 15, President Kabore issued a statement after an October 11 attack on a mosque in the northern part of the country that claimed 16 lives saying, “These attacks aim to weaken our coexistence and social cohesion, bequeathed to us by our ancestors, and which we must preserve at all costs. 2019 Report on International Religious Freedom: Burkina Faso, An official website of the United States government. Poverty is a problem in the country of Burkina Faso but with your support, Compassion is working to change this. Throughout the year, the Ambassador met with imams and Catholic and Protestant leaders to reinforce U.S. support for religious freedom and tolerance. The government also provided funding to registered Catholic, Protestant, and Muslim (commonly referred to as “Franco-Arabic”) schools through subsidies for teacher salaries, which were typically less than those of public school teachers. Burkina Faso is a low-income Sahelian country with limited natural resources. On February 17, militants waving a black flag fired in the air and entered a mosque, telling people to go out and pray and that they were seeking state representatives and teachers. In July the government allocated approximately 1.1 billion CFA francs ($1.89 million) to subsidize the costs of 8,143 Muslims for the Hajj. By law schools (religious or not) must submit the names of their directors to the government and register their schools with the Ministry of National Education and Literacy; however, the government does not appoint or approve these officials. Throughout the year, embassy officials organized or supported several activities to respond to the social divisions between religious groups. Human rights organizations and religious groups expressed concern that the increase in religiously targeted violence threatened the “traditional peaceful coexistence” of religious groups in the country. More than 100 million girls and women have undergone female genital cutting (FGC, also known as “female circumcision”), and more than 3 million female infants and children are at risk for this procedure annually.1–3 FGC is seen as a rite of passage for young girls in some communities and is most often performed between the ages of 4 and 10.1,4 Reasons for this practice include beliefs that it enhances fertility, promotes purity, increases marriage opportunities and prevents stillbirths. Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom, Abuses by Foreign Forces and Nonstate Actors, Section III. Its neighbors are Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Benin, Togo, and Ghana. The attackers then burned the church and looted nearby businesses. On November 1, the Ambassador and visiting U.S. officials met with the papal nuncio and the bishop of the northern town of Dori to engage on next steps in religious tolerance advocacy in light of increasing terrorist attacks. Four countries reported 100% literacy among their people: Andorra; [3] Ouagadougou, the capital, has a mixed Muslim and Christian population; however, Bobo-Dioulasso, the country's second-largest city, is mostly Muslim. BURKINA FASO 4 International Religious Freedom Report for 2018 United States Department of State • Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor The government allocated 75 million CFA francs ($132,000) each to the Muslim, Catholic, Protestant, and … The embassy funded literacy programming in Quranic schools in northern Burkina Faso, the curriculum of which focuses on peaceful dialogue, nonviolent conflict resolution, and religious tolerance. A significant number of Sunni Muslims identify with the Tijaniyah Sufiorder. Within the urban areas, many French customs prevail.