Displaying items by tag: Africa

Nigeria was the country with the most Christians killed for their faith last year. In overall violence, it was second only to Pakistan, and it trailed only China in the number of churches attacked or closed. Nigeria also led the world in the number of kidnapped Christians last year and broke into the top ten countries for the first time, where it is most difficult to be a Christian, jumping to number 9 (from 12 last year). On 2 April you were asked to pray for the release of eight Christians who were abducted on their way to evangelise in Kaduna state. This week we can thank God that our prayers have been answered, and they were freed and taken to hospital for checkup and tests.

Believers can languish in captivity for years in Eritrea. ‘They often aren’t even charged with anything and they don’t go to court’, said Greg Musselman from Voice of the Martyrs. In an unexpected move, Eritrea’s government released dozens of prisoners in late February. Many believers thought, ‘things are changing!’ But Musselman said, ‘The Eritrean government may be trying to curry favour with Ethiopia, their neighbouring country, because the prime minister there is a Christian. As recent arrests show, these changes were too good to be true. Our hopes that the Eritrean government was loosening its grip on evangelicals now seem to be going in the opposite direction. Eritrea is claiming religious freedom, but that’s not happening at all.’

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said they will continue to work around the clock assisting thousands of people evacuated from the shores of Palma after violent attacks by insurgents. At the seaport of Pemba MSF teams have been assisting refugees who are scared, traumatised, hungry and desperate. Project director Luiz Guimaraes said, ‘We have three mobile clinics around Pemba city. We provide for 400 to 450 consultations per day.’ He said that out of fear people fled, walking long distances on foot without food and shelter. Teams are also assisting with water and sanitation, as people need clean water to drink. ‘In this situation, they drink dirty water, and they have a lot of diseases caused by waterborne pathogens.’ He said that they had also implemented mental health services to help people cope with their traumatic experiences. Pray for God’s peace to comfort the refugees.

Eight Christians have been abducted while on their way to evangelise in Kaduna state. The group of members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God were travelling towards the town of Kafanchan when gunmen intercepted the bus, according to International Christian Concern and the Nigerian Tribune. Eje Kenny Faraday, a witness, posted a picture on Facebook showing the empty bus saying, ‘All passengers in the bus are just kidnapped along Kachia Road, Km 63 from Kaduna.’ The kidnappers have demanded the equivalent of £88,000 for their release. A search for the members has been launched by security agencies including the police and the military.

On 22 March the European Union announced a number of sanctions on Eritrea’s national security office. This positive EU move should hardly be a surprise to the Eritrean government. It has faced sanctions for its human rights and religious freedom violations in the past, earning the nickname of ‘Africa’s North Korea’ for its systematic flaunting of international standards and its insular foreign policy. The recent sanctions target arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances of persons, and torture committed by its agents. Eritrea has a well-documented history of treating its prisoners inhumanely and of targeting religious minorities for particularly harsh treatment. Me’eter Prison, the customary holding place for Eritrean prisoners of conscience, is notorious for its regular use of torture, for example to induce religious recantations. Prisoners are kept in metal shipping containers placed on the open desert floor.

UNICEF is underscoring the need for continual aid for children amid a worsening situation in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Five months since the conflict began, a picture is emerging of killings and sexual violence against women and children. UNICEF reports schools and health centres looted, vandalised, and occupied by armed groups. In addition, deliberate attacks of violence and looting have left 60% of health care facilities not operational. 57% of boreholes (providing water) in 13 towns are not functional, and a quarter of the region’s schools have sustained damage. Although UNICEF and partners give humanitarian aid to the needy, there are urgent needs for children’s protection. Fighting, media blackout, and government-imposed restrictions leave humanitarian organisations unable to provide adequate aid, and they have had difficulty accurately gauging the need. Basic service outlets must be protected and the safety and security of everyone working in and accessing those services guaranteed.

The Ceesa people have a unique desert culture and their own distinct language. There is evidence that they were Christians once, but they are now Sunni Muslims. As far as anyone knows, there has not been a single Ceesa Jesus follower in seven hundred years. Mohammed, a Ceesa farmer, saw a man picking and eating olives from a tree near his house. Rather than chase the stranger away, he introduced himself and welcomed him into his home for some delicious dates. The man, Ali, was a Christian who had come to Ceesa to share the good news. As he ate he began telling his host about Isa. When Mohammed heard the name, his eyes got big. He said, ‘I have seen Isa in my dreams! I want to know more about him!’ Ali continued to explain the good news, soon Mohammed gave his life to Jesus, and a church was planted.

Locusts move like thick, dark clouds, tearing through parts of East Africa and devouring crop after crop, putting food supplies and farmers’ livelihoods at risk. These invasions aren’t new but they are happening more often than ever. ‘It is because of the change in climate’, said a satellite Information analyst in Nairobi. ‘Locusts that otherwise would have scattered for lack of vegetation to consume can now get lots of it’ Locusts invaded northern Kenya in January, devouring field crops, vegetables, cattle fodder and grazing land. Pray for organisations like Barnabas Fund who are assisting 1,000 vulnerable Christian families in the area. They aim to help subsistence farmers speedily restore their crop and livestock production, distributing seeds, fertiliser and appropriate pesticides to deal with locust eggs left in the soil and the surge in other pests that usually follow a locust swarm.

Recently three huge blasts and a series of smaller explosions from a military base damaged or destroyed almost all homes and buildings in Bata, a city of over 250,000 people. The first explosion was so big that people were shouting ‘This is a bomb, this is a bomb!’ UN satellite images suggest at least 243 structures were completely destroyed and nearby buildings severely damaged, with scorched vegetation. Pray for the residents of Bata trying to come to grips with the full scale of a disaster that killed at least 105 people and injured over 600. 482 people have been discharged from hospitals but many remain untreated. Hospitals are overwhelmed. Pray for aid to be released to the homeless who once lived in the destroyed blocks of housing. The devastation was caused by poorly-managed stores of explosives. But no matter the cause, the road to recovery will be long and daunting.

When Nigerian front-line worker Daniel Zagi was interviewed by Voice of the Martyrs, he used the word ‘pray’ 42 times. ‘If there is anything you want to do for us, pray’, he said. ‘We are here, and we are fighting for the cause of the gospel in the north.’ Many Christians in northern Nigeria have lost loved ones and homes in attacks by Boko Haram and Fulani militants, who seek to drive Christians out and establish an Islamist nation. Many pastors have been forced to flee the region, and entire congregations have been displaced. Nigerian believers need our prayers as they advance the gospel amid these violent attacks. Pray that believers suffering repeated attacks will withstand persecution and persevere in faith. Ask God to comfort all those who have experienced great loss because of this violence.