FoRB News & Data from Leading Observatories
AFORBO triangulates African grassroots evidence with the world’s principal freedom-of-religion-or-belief datasets. Below are the latest findings from six leading sources.
Government restrictions on religion at record highs
Pew’s Government Restrictions Index and Social Hostilities Index score 198 countries, giving AFORBO its principal global statistical benchmark for FoRB trends.
Read more →2026 Annual Report: violations escalate, Africa in focus
The U.S. Commission’s annual report drives Country of Particular Concern designations and names Boko Haram, ISWAP, JNIM and al-Shabaab as Entities of Particular Concern.
Read more →Violent Incidents Database: Africa leads anti-Christian killings (2024)
The Institute’s open, events-based database documents violent FoRB incidents worldwide; its 2024 data place Africa highest for killings and forced displacement.
Read more →Religious Freedom in the World Report 2025
ACN’s biennial report, launched at the Vatican in October 2025, finds authoritarian regimes and jihadism driving persecution, with sub-Saharan Africa severely affected.
Read more →World Watch List 2026: Sub-Saharan Africa the epicentre
Open Doors ranks the 50 hardest countries to follow Christ. Fourteen are in sub-Saharan Africa; Nigeria alone recorded 3,490 of 4,849 killings worldwide.
Read more →Freedom of Thought Report 2025
The flagship report assesses every country on the rights of the non-religious and FoRB — published as open data under a Creative Commons licence.
Read more →Headlines and data are drawn from the respective organisations and link to their official reports. AFORBO complements these with African institutional data, verified grassroots reports and positive developments.
AFRICAN FREEDOM OF RELIGION OR BELIEF OBSERVATORY
Championing Religious Freedom Across Africa
Monitoring, advocating, and building a continent where every person’s right to freedom of religion or belief is protected and respected.
Our Mission
AFORBO works collaboratively with African Union institutions, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), national governments, faith-based organizations, academia, and civil society to advance freedom of religion or belief through monitoring and reporting, legal advocacy and policy engagement, research and knowledge production, capacity-building and training, interfaith dialogue, and peacebuilding.
Rooted in Africa’s Ubuntu philosophy — “I am because we are” — AFORBO is African-led, independent, and non-partisan.
What We Do
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Monitoring
Tracking religious freedom violations and best practices continent-wide through trusted local networks and grassroots focal persons.
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Advocacy
Promoting legal reforms and policy changes at national, regional, and continental levels to protect equal rights for all faith communities.
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Interfaith Dialogue
Creating platforms for collaboration among different religious traditions to foster understanding, respect, and peaceful coexistence.
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Legal Support
Providing victims of religious discrimination with legal aid and psychosocial assistance to help them reclaim their rights and dignity.
Report a Violation or Share a Success Story
Have you witnessed a religious freedom violation in Africa? Or do you have an inspiring story of religious harmony to share? AFORBO wants to hear from you.
Inspired By
“I am because we are.”
Ubuntu Philosophy — Africa
“Let there be no compulsion in religion.”
Qur’an 2:256
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
Matthew 5:9