Tag: Congo

Air France flight bound for Detroit diverted to Canada over passenger from Congo, officials say

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An Air France flight from Paris to Detroit was forced to divert to Montreal on Wednesday due to U.S. flight restrictions linked to the Ebola outbreak after it was determined that one of the passengers was from the Democratic Republic of Congo, federal officials and the airline said. Air France boarded the passenger “in error on a flight to the United States,” a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told CBS News in a statement. “Due to entry restrictions put in place to reduce the risk of the Ebola virus, the passenger should not have boarded the plane,” the CBP spokesperson said. “CBP took decisive action and prohibited the flight carrying that traveler from landing at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, and instead, diverted to Montreal, Canada.” CBP did not say when the person had last been in the Congo or whether they were showing symptoms of the virus.

When reached about the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration directed CBS News to CBP. CBS News has also reached out to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for comment. Air France said in a statement to CBS News that it “confirms that, at the request of U.S. authorities, (the flight) was diverted to Montreal Airport after a Congolese passenger on board was denied entry into the United States. In fact, under new regulations, passengers arriving from certain countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, may only enter U.S. territory via Washington (IAD) Airport. There was no medical emergency on board, and like all airlines, Air France is required to comply with the entry requirements of the countries it serves.”

According to the flight tracking website FlightAware, Air France Flight 378 from Paris-Charles de Gaulle International Airport landed at Montreal Trudeau International Airport at 5:15 p.m. ET. The status of the passenger from the Congo was unknown.  Deborah Mistor, a business class passenger aboard the flight, told CBS News in an interview Thursday night that the rest of the passengers were then flown from Montreal to Detroit aboard the same aircraft. Mistor revealed that the passengers were notified by the captain about four hours before they were initially due to arrive in Detroit that U.S. authorities were not allowing the plane to land in the U.S. and the flight was being diverted. The captain did not provide a reason, however. “I think enough people must have been questioning what was going on because 30 minutes later, he came back on and said that he wanted to confirm that there was nothing wrong with the plane, there were no technical difficulties, that it was strictly because of U.S. authorities not allowing us to land in the U.S.,” Mistor told CBS News.

Source: Air France flight bound for Detroit diverted to Canada over passenger from Congo, officials say – CBS News

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.
Ephesians 1:7

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Recent News on Christian Persecution (March 11 – March 18, 2026)

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Advocacy groups including International Christian Concern (ICC), Open Doors, and Persecution Relief released multiple reports this week documenting fresh incidents of violence, arrests, and systemic discrimination. The global picture remains unchanged: roughly 388 million Christians (about 1 in 7 worldwide) continue to face high or extreme levels of persecution according to the 2026 World Watch List.

1. India – Mob Assault on 28 Christian Families in Chhattisgarh

  • On March 10 (reported March 16), a mob in Millampalli village, Sukma district, attacked 28 Christian families with wooden rods and sticks. The families had been denied government food rations since November 2025 solely because of their faith; when they complained, a local food inspector allegedly incited the violence and issued threats. Police complaints were filed, but witnesses claim authorities showed bias or inaction.

2. Nigeria – Fulani Militia Attacks Continue in Plateau State

  • A March 17 ICC report highlighted ongoing raids by Fulani militants and bandits on Christian farming communities in Barkin Ladi, Riyom, and Bokkos areas. Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo of the Church of Christ in Nations publicly stated that repeated appeals for protection, including direct outreach to the U.S. administration, have gone unanswered, leaving Middle Belt Christians exposed despite broader U.S. military operations elsewhere in the country. Churches and homes remain primary targets.

3. Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – Weekly ADF/ISIS-Linked Violence

  • ICC’s March 13 briefing detailed near-weekly attacks by the ISIS-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces in eastern provinces. Christians are being murdered, abducted, and displaced, with churches deliberately destroyed as militants seek to impose stricter Islamic rule. The situation has worsened in recent months, with hundreds killed or kidnapped in targeted Christian villages.

4. Cuba – Pastor Arrested for Posting Bible Teaching Online

  • On March 15, Pastor Rolando Pérez Lora was arrested after uploading a simple Bible teaching video to YouTube. The arrest drew international attention March 16–18, underscoring growing restrictions on online Christian expression in Cuba. Local believers and advocacy groups are calling for his immediate release.

5. Iran & China – Heightened Pressure Amid Conflict and Surveillance

  • Open Doors issued updated “Dispatches from Iran” (March 17) noting that at least 48 Christians remain imprisoned amid regional chaos, communication blackouts, and economic hardship affecting underground churches. In China, ICC’s new feature “Persecution Has No Borders” detailed intensified domestic surveillance plus overseas harassment of Chinese Christians abroad through “police stations” and digital monitoring.

6. China – “Persecution Has No Borders”

  • ICC’s March 17 feature emphasized the Chinese Communist Party’s expanding reach: intensified surveillance, church demolitions, and “Sinicization” campaigns inside China, alongside overseas “police stations” harassing Chinese Christians abroad. Long-term prisoners and families of detainees continue to suffer, with authorities tightening controls on online Bible studies and house churches.

7. Iran – Christians Endure War Chaos and Imprisonment

  • Open Doors issued a March 17 dispatch on the situation inside Iran amid regional conflict. At least 48 Christians remain imprisoned, many in the overcrowded and chaotic Evin Prison, while others are missing. Communication blackouts, economic collapse, and forced conscription have hit underground churches particularly hard. Believers have been actively supporting displaced families, demonstrating remarkable resilience despite the risks of arrest for “apostasy” or “propaganda against the regime.”

8. Broader Regional Warnings

  • Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) reiterated that escalating violence in the Middle East threatens the very survival of ancient Christian communities. The Vatican and UN statements this week again described anti-Christian persecution as the most widespread form of religious oppression globally.
  • The Vatican and several UN statements this week reiterated warnings about the scale of anti-Christian violence, especially in conflict zones. European commentators also discussed “polite persecution” , subtle legal and cultural pressures in Western societies, alongside the more violent incidents in the Global South. No major new policy shifts were announced, but advocacy groups continue pressing Western governments for stronger diplomatic action.

These reports emphasize both sudden violence and long-term systemic pressures. Relief organizations are actively providing emergency aid, legal assistance, and documentation. For ongoing monitoring, the primary sources remain ICC (persecution.org), Open Doors, and ACN.

Source: Grok on X

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Proverbs 31:30

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‘Nothing changes’: Four decades in power, Congo’s Nguesso seeks a new term

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the flag of the democratic republic of the congo

Is Brazzaville’s stability a result of gradual democratic consolidation or carefully organised political continuity?

Source: ‘Nothing changes’: Four decades in power, Congo’s Nguesso seeks a new term | Elections News | Al Jazeera

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
2 Corinthians 5:21

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