AFRICA/BURKINA FASO - The disappearance of Fr. Yougbaré: for a missionary "there is an attempt to reduce evangelization activities"

Niamey (Agenzia Fides) - Still no news of Fr. Joël Yougbaré, the priest from Burkina Faso who disappeared on Sunday 17 March in the north of the country (see Fides, 20/03/2019). There are therefore two missing priests between Burkina Faso and neighboring Niger.
According to Fr. Mauro Armanino, a missionary of the SMA in Niger, the disappearance of a local priest in Burkina Faso is a disturbing sign.
"A couple of teachers were killed in the area, now a local priest has disappeared", explains Fr. Mauro, according to whom "there is an attempt to create terror and insecurity in educational agencies, and the Church is among them. Foreigners and locals alike are hit, even in the religious sphere; so far no problems had been registered for the local clergy". "All this in order, probably, to favor the exodus or the reduction of evangelization activities in the area", concludes Fr. Mauro. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 22/3/2019)