Why are IS attacks against Christians on the rise in Africa?

Dozens of people were killed in a bomb blast at a church in the Democratic Republic of Congo last weekend. In Nigeria, a priest was killed and another was abducted in the last few days. By mid-January, women and children were kidnapped in Burkina Faso. These are just a few of recent incidents where people in various African countries have been targeted. What do they have in common? The Islamic State-affiliated groups in those countries have claimed responsibility for the attacks. And this is just a small snapshot of what’s been happening on the continent in recent years. A BBC analysis has uncovered that attacks by Islamic State or IS in sub-Saharan Africa are on a “steady rise“. Alan Kasujja is finding out why this rise and speaks with Abdirahim Saeed, a journalist with the BBC Monitoring. He specialises in extremist jihadist groups.