Cameroon President Orders Closure of Pentecostal Churches

Yaounde, Cameroon (CNN) -- Cameroon's President Paul Biya has ordered the closure of nearly 100 Christian churches in key cities, citing criminal practices organized by Pentecostal pastors that threaten the security of the West African nation. But Pentecostal pastors said the move is evidence of Biya's insecurity about the churches' criticism of the government. Biya is using the military to permanently shut down all Pentecostal church denominations in the nation's capital, Yaounde, and the North West Regional capital, Bamenda, which have the largest Christian populations in Cameroon. More than 50 churches have now been closed, with the government targeting nearly 100 in eight other regions.