Islamic insurgents expel Christian aid groups from southern Somalia

Al-Shabaab, an Islamic insurgent group that controls most of southern and central Somalia, has expelled three Christian aid groups from the southern part of the nation. “Acting as missionaries under the guise of humanitarian work, the organizations have been spreading their corrupted ideologies in order to taint the pure creed of the Muslims in Somalia,” Al-Shabaab said in a statement.

Criticizing Al-Shabaab’s “intolerant approach,” Bishop Giorgio Bertin of Djibouti, who also serves as apostolic administrator of Mogadishu, said, “Of course [the agencies] were inspired by their faith,” adding, “since they were giving a good service according to international humanitarian criteria, they are not to be impeded in their charitable work.”

The Sunni Muslim nation of 8.1 million has only one parish with 100 Catholics, according to Vatican statistics.