Displaying items by tag: rebel groups

A baby girl born in Tibu, Colombia, on 11 February was just five days old when her family fled violence, joining over 55,000 displaced by escalating conflict. FARC dissidents and the National Liberation Army (ELN) have clashed in Catatumbo since January, forcing families to abandon homes amid kidnappings and attacks. The UN calls it Colombia’s largest mass displacement from a single event. In Cucuta, 120 km away, displaced families face uncertainty. Aid efforts struggle with limited resources as shelters and local hotels fill up. Farmers have left crops and livestock, worsening food shortages. Meanwhile, the violence exposes flaws in president Gustavo Petro’s ‘total peace’ policy, as negotiations with rebel groups repeatedly collapse. The state’s slow response to building infrastructure and curbing the coca trade has fuelled instability, leaving thousands to wonder when they can return home.

Despite being called a predominantly Christian country, the Central African Republic (CAR) is a difficult place for biblical disciples to live. Since 2012, Islamic rebel groups, called Seleka, have caused civil unrest. Fighters opposing the Seleka, the anti-Balaka, considered to be mostly ‘Christians’, have carried out brutal revenge killings. As with the Seleka, some anti-Balaka have targeted biblical followers of Christ. In truth, the anti-Balaka are simply non-Muslims. While 85% of CAR’s 5 million people identify as Christians, only 30% are thought to be committed followers of Christ. These believers are increasingly attacked, driven from their homes, and killed. Since the fighting began, over 1.2 million people have been relocated across CAR because of violence. Another 600,000 refugees live outside CAR, and 600,000 live in camps for internally displaced people. Pray for adequate donations to be given to aid agencies providing thousands with food, shelter, and medicine.