Scarred from civil war, people in Burundi need to recover from years of tribal wars and loss. 70-80% live below the poverty line. Last weekend the army attempted to overthrow President Nkurunziza ahead of an election which has now been postponed. Opposition and human rights groups say that Nkurunziza's bid for a third five-year term in power is against the constitution. Former rebel leader Nkurunziza, who claims to be a born-again Christian, believes he has divine backing to lead the country, arguing his first term in power did not count as he was elected by parliament, not directly by the people. Burundi has a Hutu/Tutsi divided population. Hutu rebels are loyal to the government, while the army is dominated by Tutsi, who are sympathetic to the opposition. Weapons and military training have been given to the ruling party's youth wing. Disagreement over a third presidential term could descend into conflict either along ethnic lines or the new military divisions. See also
Iran: Sending aid to Yemen
21 May 2015
Last month the USA sent a guided-missile cruiser towards the Arabian Sea to block a convoy of eight Iranian ships believed to be carrying arms for the rebel Houthis in Yemen (many believe Houthis receive arms from Iran). Prayer-Alert readers prayed for vital shipping lanes in the region to remain open and safe. Today an Iranian aid ship, the Shahed, heading for Yemen, is due to enter the Bab al-Mandeb strait linking the Gulf of Aden with the Red Sea. The Shahed is carrying aid and foreign activists to the port of Hodaida. Saudi Arabia is worried about the increasing influence of Iran in the Middle East. Iran wields great influence in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq with the help of proxies such as Hezbollah. On Tuesday the Times of Israel reported, ‘Defying US objections, two Iranian warships joined an Iranian cargo ship carrying supplies to Yemen.’ See also
Sudan: Pastors on trial
21 May 2015
Two South Sudanese pastors, Michael Yat and Peter Yen Reith, are on trial in Khartoum. They were detained by Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Service in December 2014 and January 2015 respectively and were charged with a range of criminal offences, including crimes against the State which are punishable by death, a life sentence or lesser detention and confiscation of property. A court hearing began on 19 May, but the prosecutor did not finish and will continue to present his evidence on 31 May. After this the defence lawyer will have an opportunity to present his case. He believes there is no real evidence against the two pastors for any of the charges. He also believes that the sole reason for the court case is the two pastors' exercise of their Christian faith. Christians in Sudan ask us to pray for God to protect the pastors and their families.
Iraq's government has called for volunteers to fight against Islamic State and help retake the city of Ramadi. A voluntary recruitment drive was necessary to fill shortages in squads. Thousands have fled from Ramadi since its capture by IS on Sunday. Officials inside the city reported, ‘burned bodies can be seen littering the streets’. More than 250 civilians and security forces have been killed in the past two days. A security analyst affirmed that a grim fate awaits the residents of Ramadi who are now in IS's grasp. ‘Anybody who supported the government will probably be executed. It will be a bloodbath in coming days.’ IS claim that ancient Christian religious relics and other faith groups promote idolatry that violates their interpretation of Islamic law. They have been destroying churches and minorities for some time in a systematic campaign to rid the region of any vestiges of other faiths. The jihadists are committing 'genocide'. See also
Danger from IS terrorists posing as refugees
21 May 2015
Islamic State (IS) terrorists are being smuggled into Europe by posing as refugees trying to cross the Mediterranean. Intelligence analysts fear that would-be jihadists are exploiting the growing crisis of desperate migrants fleeing war-torn North African countries by joining them on risky boat crossings. Once ashore in countries such as Italy and Greece, there are fears that militants could evade detection by the authorities – and try to plot violent attacks. It is reported that IS commanders are also profiting from the trade in refugees making the perilous voyage by demanding half of the money taken by the traffickers. Meanwhile, British Special Forces divers are poised to launch a series of daring operations along the Libyan coastline to destroy the ships used by traffickers. The claims that IS terrorists are posing as refugees were made by a Libyan security adviser, Abdul Basit Haroun, who used to live in Britain.
Earlier this year 10,000 Gaza teenagers graduated from a Hamas terrorist training programme called ‘Pioneers of the Resistance.’ The Palestinian youths, aged 15 to 21, underwent intensive training using live ammunition and heard sermons from Hamas leaders in praise of armed attacks. They were trained in firing sniper rifles, using portraits of Israeli leaders for targets. The youths simulated attacks on Israeli destinations through model terror tunnels (recreating the experience of infiltrating Israeli territory). All training was conducted under strict military conditions. During the last week of their training Hamas published a series of photos showing Palestinian minors dressed in military uniforms and being given weapons training in how to kill Israelis with assault rifles. The new camp is an example of how the Iran-backed terror organisation influences Palestinian children with ideology and violates international laws. See also
An anonymous report stated that three young British girls are trying to escape from their husbands - and possibly IS. A Facebook posting on 2 May said, ‘Three girls (foreigners, British) married to IS militants, are reported missing, and IS has ordered all its check points to search for them. It is believed that those girls have escaped.’ The author later added, ‘The latest info I have is they are still on the run in Mosul, and IS is thoroughly searching for them - not captured them yet. They are Brits, not immigrants, and they are very young teens (around 16 years old). That's all I have about them for now.’ See also article 6 in this week’s Prayer-Alert British Isles section.
Nepal: 2nd earthquake - 7.2 magnitude
13 May 2015
A new earthquake hit Nepal on Tuesday, with shockwaves felt as far away as New Delhi and Dhaka. At the time of writing at least 65 people have been reported killed in India, Nepal and Tibet, with more than 1,100 injured. The epicentre was to the east of Kathmandu, close to the China border. There are massive recovery efforts under way to aid victims in Nepal. Hundreds of thousands of buildings, including many ancient sites, were destroyed and many more damaged. Tearfund said that they had not yet been able to contact their partner workers in the field and that in the capital Kathmandu there had been panic. ‘People are very scared, choosing to stay out in the streets. It's been doubly traumatic for them, and we need to pray and support them.’