Muslims across Africa celebrate Eid al-Adha amid conflict, soaring inflation

Millions of Muslims across Africa are celebrating Eid al-Adha — or “The Feast of the Sacrifice” — a religious festival that honors the act of sacrificing what they hold dear to express their devotion to Allah.

But this year, in parts of Africa, Eid celebrations are marred by rising inflation, raging wars, and refugee crisis. In Sudan, Muslim worshippers who fled violence in Khartoum, gathered for Eid al-Adha prayers in Port Sudan as bloody fighting raged on in Khartoum and West Darfur. This is despite the ‘unilateral’ ceasefires that were earlier announced by both warring generals. In recent days, fighting has intensified to “alarming levels,” according to the United Nations, after a series of ceasefire deals agreed at talks led by the United States and Saudi Arabia in Jeddah failed to stick. Thus, the raging war, scarcity of humanitarian aid and the refugee crisis make for dire celebrations.

Meanwhile, Muslims in Nigeria are reportedly tightening their belts to mark the religious festival, as inflation triggered by President Bola Tinubu’s decision to remove fuel subsidies in May has seen food prices jump, in some cases more than doubling. Nigeria was for decades spending billions of dollars each month to keep petrol prices down at pumps. Since the subsidy ended, the pump price has soared from 197 to 537 naira per liter of petrol. Food items and transport are most affected.

The World Bank warned earlier in the week that more than 7 million Nigerians may enter extreme poverty if the federal government does not make up for the end of the subsidy. Islam is the second most widespread religion in the African continent after Christianity, with 40% of the African population embracing the Islamic religion.