Macky Sall is a Senegalese politician who has been President of Senegal since April 2012. Mohammed Dionne is the Prime Minister. As a model of democratic success, Senegal has remained relatively peaceful and enjoyed economic stability and freedom of the press for years. Agriculture and tourism are the country’s main sources of revenue. Tightened security laws have affected freedoms as the nation has concerns about encroaching militant Islam in the region. Government forces have been deployed increasingly to the border regions this year. Senegal is a Muslim-dominated multi-party democracy but remains accepting of other religions. Christian Believers remain free to worship openly and rarely face persecution. Senegal hosts large refugee numbers. Many African illegal migrants use Senegal as a departure point for Europe.

Jordan is listed in the 39^th position in the World Watch report 2022 by Open Doors for Christian persecution. Despite dropping one place, hostility toward Christians has marginally increased. Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein has been King of Jordan.  Bisher Al-Khasawneh is the incumbent Prime Minister since 12 October 2020. There are about 8 million people living in Jordan. In a time when the prices for food and petrol increase constantly, salaries remain at the same level, presenting a challenge. Poverty is on the rise. Jordan’s major population is Muslim; there is a small percentage of Christians. However, Jordanian Christians often live in isolation from Muslims. The Kingdom of Jordan and its people face many challenges with an influx of refugees from four regional wars and a lack of water and other resources, Millions of refugees from different conflicts currently live in Jordan.

The Maldives is Asia’s smallest country by area and population known for its lucrative tourism industry. It is an extremely closed country, claiming to be 100 percent Muslim, and heavily repressing any Christian influence. Only a handful of secret Believers live in the Maldives. Dozens of Maldivians joined IS in the last decade; the island nation is believed to be “fertile ground for recruitment” to radical Islam. Surprising results in general elections a few years ago saw the opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih defeating the former president, Abdulla Yameen who was charged and jailed on corruption charges. The new government began reforms but has struggled to see any real effective change take place. COVID-19 had a significant impact on the tourism industry in 2020 and 2021 but has shown good signs of recovery in 2022.

Nigeria has gone up two spots and is listed in 7^th position in the World Watch report 2022 by Open Doors for an increase in Christian persecution. This is Nigeria’s highest-ever ranking on the World Watch List. Muhammadu Buhari is the president of Nigeria. It is Africa’s most populous country. The diversity is represented in 544 people groups. Mangroves and tropical forests are in the south, and savanna and grasslands are found in the north. Wetlands along the coast parallel this diversity. Striking differences also exist between the majority Muslim and feudal north and the largely Christian and more developed south. Deep ethnic and religious divisions threaten the nation as a whole. Constant tensions exist between tribal rivalries – particularly in the northern and central states where Muslims and Christians coexist. Years of devastating violence by Boko Haram have left roughly 20,000 dead and displaced millions.