RLPB 607. The Sahel: Africa's Afghanistan? Christians Imperilled.

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 607 | Wed 21 Jul 2021
RLPB is published weekly to facilitate strategic intercessory prayer.

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THE SAHEL: AFRICA'S AFGHANISTAN? CHRISTIANS IMPERILLED.
- PLUS Pressing South: from the Sahel to the Gulf of Guinea
by Elizabeth Kendal

In 2013, French troops entered the Sahel to counter Islamic jihadists who, in 2012, had seized control of Northern Mali in a blitzkrieg. Since 2014, some 5100 French troops have served alongside soldiers from Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger in what has been known as Operation Barkhane. French policy was to hold off the jihadis while African states developed the capacity to defend their own territories. Operation Barkhane has been hugely unpopular in France, where citizens have questioned why French money should be spent and French lives lost (albeit very few) defending France's former colonies in Africa. Making matters worse, with troop numbers insufficient for the task, Operation Barkhane has not been successful. Instead, jihadists groups have both proliferated and grown stronger, while impoverished Sahelian armies remain ill-equipped and hopelessly overstretched.

At a press conference on 10 June, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that Operation Barkhane will officially end in the first quarter of 2022; an orderly withdrawal has already begun. Some 2000 French troops will join Task Force Takuba, a recently established European Union force that will advise and assist African forces in their counter-terror operations. Troops will arrive home just in time for the French presidential election, scheduled for 10 April 2022. It comes at a time when jihadists are: (1) escalating activity to record levels; (2) enforcing Sharia law and implementing Sharia penalties in territories they control; and (3) actively working to expand south towards the Gulf of Guinea. Christians in the Sahel - especially those in the Liptako-Gourma [Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger tri-border] region - are imminently imperilled.

Like Mali and Niger, Burkina Faso is majority Muslim (52 percent Muslim and 21 percent Christian), with a proud tradition of religious freedom and social cohesion. Today, jihadist violence is escalating markedly, specifically in the Liptako-Gourma / tri-border region. The situation is particularly severe in Burkina Faso, which has suffered seven major attacks in quick succession since the beginning of April. On Friday night 4 June, jihadist gunmen on motorbikes killed 13 civilians and a soldier in Tadaryat, a village in Sahel Region's Yagha Province which borders Niger in north-eastern Burkina Faso. Hours later, at around 2am on 5 June, the jihadists attacked Solhan Village, around 150 km further south. In a shocking explosion of violence, the jihadists - including 'young people aged 12 to 14' - massacred at least 160 civilians, including 20 children, leaving 40 wounded. They stole motorbikes and cattle and torched homes and a market. It was the worst massacre in Burkina Faso's six-year battle against Islamic jihadists. No group has claimed responsibility, although analysts suspect Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) is to blame. 

Speaking to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN, 11 June), Bishop Laurent Dabiré of Dori (the capital of Burkina Faso's northern Sahel Region) described Solhan as 'a vibrant Christian community'. The Bishop said: 'Just like everyone else in Burkina who is being targeted by terrorism, the Christians were overcome by fear. However, as Christians, they have more reason to fear a forced imposition of Islam. Their religious freedom and even their lives are at stake.' Solhan Village had recently established a Volunteers for the Defense of the Fatherland (VDP) corps, an anti-jihadist civilian defence militia that co-operates with the government to protect communities. Jihadists have long held vast swathes of gold-rich eastern Burkina Faso, leading some to surmise the massacre was a case of jihadists punishing Solhan for its VDP while reasserting their supremacy over the region. Whilst they have long demanded Muslims submit to fundamentalist Islam, there are concerns that jihadists in eastern Burkina Faso are widening their scope to include Christians. A regional Bible school has been targeted, its library burned and its staff and students threatened. Please pray. 

PRESSING SOUTH: From the Sahel to the Gulf of Guinea

click on map to enlarge

In February, France's head of foreign intelligence warned that terrorists based in the Sahel are actively working on expanding into the countries of the Gulf of Guinea - specifically Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo and Benin, all of which border Burkina Faso. For supply and income, jihadists partner with organised crime to conduct illicit trade in weapons, drugs, gold, cattle, fuel etc. Consequently, the jihadists are eager to secure their supply lines and smuggling routes, many of which transit through Gulf of Guinea states. Ivory Coast has seen a 'stark increase' in terror attacks this year, with nine attacks since 29 March (up from one in 2020), predominantly in the northern districts of Savanes and Zanzan. Jihadist violence has also begun to spill over into northern Benin, where five jihadist cells are known to have a presence on the border. Responding to the escalating threat, Togo and Ghana have increased security along their northern borders. 

On 21 June a suicide bomber named Abu Dujana, from al-Qaeda affiliate Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM: Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims), attacked a French reconnaissance mission near the central Malian town of Gossi, wounding six soldiers and four civilians. In his martyrdom video, Abu Dujana - a Fulani reportedly from Tamale, the capital of Ghana's Northern Region - urged his Fulani kinsmen to rise up and fight those who fight them.

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT GOD WILL:

* draw the churches of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger into prayer, that religious freedom and social cohesion might be not merely preserved but promoted, respected and treasured; may the Lord redeem this crisis to amplify the Gospel message, magnify Christian witness, and open many hearts to receive Jesus Christ, the hope of nations (see Matthew 12:14-21).

'It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.' (Psalm 118:8 ESV)

* intervene to thwart every wicked plot of Islamic jihadists based in the Sahel. May supply lines be severed and smuggling routes compromised; in the name of the Lord we cut them off. May criminals who partner with terrorists be caught, arrested and permanently put out of business; in the name of the Lord we cut them off. May terrorists find themselves besieged, denied access to everything they need to survive, commit terror and advance jihad; in the name of the Lord we cut them off. (Prayer based on Psalm 118:10-13 ESV).

SUMMARY FOR BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
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THE SAHEL: AFRICA'S AFGHANISTAN? CHRISTIANS IMPERILLED.

France's Operation Barkhane, tasked with fighting terrorism in the Sahel, will come to an end in early 2022, just ahead of France's presidential election. Troops are already being withdrawn. It comes as jihadists in the Sahel are: (1) escalating their activity; (2) enacting Sharia laws and penalties in territories they control; and (3) actively working to expand south into Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo and Benin. On the night of 4-5 June, Islamic jihadists - many of whom were mere children - massacred at least 160 civilians in Solhan Village, Yagha Region, north-eastern Burkina Faso. Separately, jihadists in eastern Burkina Faso have targeted a Bible school, burning its library and threatening its staff. Christians in the Sahel - especially those in the Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger tri-border region - are imminently imperilled. Please pray.

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Elizabeth Kendal is an international religious liberty analyst and advocate. She serves as Director of Advocacy at Canberra-based Christian Faith and Freedom Inc. (CFF) and is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Arthur Jeffery Centre for the Study of Islam at Melbourne School of Theology.

She has authored two books: Turn Back the Battle: Isaiah Speaks to Christians Today (Deror Books, Melbourne, Australia, Dec 2012) which offers a Biblical response to persecution and existential threat; and After Saturday Comes Sunday: Understanding the Christian Crisis in the Middle East (Wipf and Stock, Eugene, OR, USA, June 2016).

See www.ElizabethKendal.com 

RLPB 577. November Update, incl. Pakistan, Artsakh, Ethiopia, Cyprus, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Ivory Coast, Uganda.

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 577| Wed 25 Nov 2020
RLPB is published weekly to facilitate strategic intercessory prayer.

Please forward this prayer bulletin widely and encourage others to sign up to “Follow by email” on the Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin (RLPB) blog. http://rlprayerbulletin.blogspot.com  ‘For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds’ (2 Corinthians 10:4 ESV).

NOVEMBER 2020 UPDATE
By Elizabeth Kendal

NOVEMBER 2020 UPDATE - during this period we prayed concerning

* PAKISTAN [RLPB 574 (4 Nov)], where once again a Pakistani High Court had validated the 'marriage' of an abducted Christian minor girl to her Muslim abductor, despite child marriage being illegal in Pakistan. However, this time social media lit up and a flood of public indignation shamed the court into action. On 2 November the Sindh High Court ordered that police recover Arzoo Raja (13) and arrest her abductor, Ali Azhar (44).

UPDATE ON PAKISTAN'S 'REAL PANDEMIC'

On 9 November, having determined that Arzoo Raja was indeed underage, the Sindh High Court reversed its decision and invalidated the marriage. However, the issue of forced conversion was not addressed; neither was that of whether Ali Azhar had committed statutory rape. Instead, Mr Azhar has been charged with marrying an underage child in violation of the child marriage act; a bailable offence with a maximum punishment of three years or a fine of 100,000 rupees (US$630) or both. By her own choice, Arzoo was returned to the women's shelter where she had been living while her case was being determined. On Monday 23 November, the court ruled that Arzoo should remain in the government-run shelter until she turns 18. The family's attorney, Jibran Nasir, maintains Arzoo has been well-groomed and brainwashed. Karachi-based rights activist Qayyum Bahadur believes Arzoo is deeply traumatised and that she remains at risk. Please pray.

In court Mr Azhar's lawyer had argued that the marriage was legitimate because Islamic Sharia Law permits marriage to girls who have attained puberty and that Sharia should take precedence. However, this time that argument did not prevail. In February 2020 the Sindh High Court legitimised the forced marriage of Christian minor girl Huma Younus (then aged 14) to her Muslim abductor, Abdul Jabbar, on the grounds that Sharia permits marriage to girls who have attained puberty. And so Huma, now 15 and pregnant, remains his captive. Surely that ruling must now be challenged! Please pray.

Reports have emerged concerning the abduction and forced marriage of Christian minor girl Farah Shaheen (12). According to her father (a poor labourer), Farah was abducted from the family home in Ahmedabad, Faisalabad division, Punjab Province in June. She was then forcibly converted to Islam and married to her Muslim abductor, Khizar Ahmad Ali (45). The police have been both unsympathetic and unhelpful. Commenting on the crime, the group Justice for Pakistani Minorities calls it Pakistan's 'real pandemic'. Please pray.

Churches are preparing to petition the Supreme Court that it might 'give a clear direction to the government, law enforcement agencies and the subordinate judiciary to take concrete steps on this crucial issue'. Let us pray in solidarity with the Church in Pakistan, 'for laws that defend our daughters'. Please pray.

Arzoo Raja (13), Huma Younus (14), Farah Shaheen (12)

RECOMMENDED:
Abduction, Conversion and Child Marriage of Religious Minority Girls in Pakistan. Report by Jubilee Campaign, 19 Nov 2020

* ARTSAKH [RLPB 575 (11 Nov)], where a Russia-brokered ceasefire has stopped the killing (for now). However, the threat of Armenian genocide still hangs over Artsakh.

UPDATE ON THE CHRISTIAN CRISIS IN ARTSAKH

The Christian crisis in Artsakh is anything but over; numerous issues need to be addressed. First, there is the threat of cultural erasure. The territory seized by and handed to Azerbaijan is rich in Armenian cultural heritage, including hundreds of Armenian churches, monasteries and khachkars (intricately carved Armenian crosses/headstones), many dating back to the 13th Century and earlier. Most analysts anticipate that Azerbaijan will move quickly to erase as much Armenian heritage as it can get away with, just as it has done in Nakhichevan. Secondly, there is the issue of Israel's support for a genocidal regime against an existentially threatened nation of genocide survivors. This round of conflict was won with drones, in particular cutting-edge Israeli-made drones and loitering munitions. Shushi fell to Turkey-backed Azeri and jihadi forces because an Israeli LORA (super accurate LOng RAnge missile) blew out the bridge into Shushi, leaving Armenian forces cut off and trapped. No wonder Azeris in Baku celebrated with Israeli flags! Some serious prayer and advocacy is needed on this front! Thirdly, despite being sidelined by the Russia-brokered deal, the Turkish parliament has passed a resolution to send Turkish troops to Azerbaijan, supposedly to 'monitor the ceasefire' with drones. Russia insists the Turks must be confined to the joint monitoring centre in Baku. But who is to say the drones will not be used less for 'monitoring' and more for reconnaissance ahead of a 'final solution'? Please pray.

Armenians say farewell to Dadivank Monastery
(Caucasian Knot, 21 Nov 2020)
MORE images:
Left Behind? Churches, Monasteries Due For Handover To Azerbaijan.
RFE/RL photo gallery 14 Nov 2020

* ETHIOPIA [RLPB 576 (18 Nov)], where a battle (both spiritual and physical) for Ethiopia is underway. Opposition forces - particularly the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF, which dominated, terrorised and exploited Ethiopia from 1991 to 2018) - are threatening to destabilise not merely the nation, but the entire Horn of Africa. It is imperative that the battle currently raging in Tigray between Ethiopia's reformist government and the TPLF end quickly and that the Ethiopian National Defence Force prevails. The battle for Mekelle (the capital of Tigray) looms. Please pray that God will deliver the TPLF's human shields and facilitate civilian flight to safety. May God intervene to deliver justice, liberty, security and peace. Not only would destabilisation be catastrophic for Ethiopia's Christians (who comprise around 63 percent of the population); the chaos would be a gift for the region's Islamic jihadists who are already primed and ready to pounce. Please pray.

NOVEMBER 2020 ROUND-UP - also this month

* CYPRUS: OTTOMAN STORM AHEAD

As noted in RLPB 573 (28 Oct), 'the status quo is over!' Not only has neo-Ottoman Turkey been building up its troops in Turkey-occupied northern Cyprus, it has also managed, through massive interference, to engineer an electoral coup which saw pro-unification premier Mustafa Akinci (vilified in Turkish media as a 'Greek lover') replaced with neo-Ottoman hardliner Ersin Tatar (recognised widely as an Erdogan lover). Greek Cypriots are alarmed, as are many Turkish Cypriots, especially youths born and raised on Cyprus who see themselves as Cypriots as distinct from Turks. When Turkey's President Erdogan visited northern Cyprus on 15 November, he was met with protests from Turkish Cypriots who do not want to see the island partitioned and northern Cyprus annexed into Turkey, something many analysts believe is on the cards. After all, Turkey's Foreign Ministry insists that Cyprus is 'an extension of the Anatolian Peninsula'. At Erdogan's instigation, Ersin Tatar will soon visit Azerbaijan. 'After 28 years, the Azerbaijanis are beginning to return to their native lands,' Erdogan told Turkish Cypriots on 15 November. 'As long as we are united, we can overcome any problems and obstacles. May Allah have mercy upon our martyrs, thanks to whom we are able to live in these glorious days.' The situation on Cyprus - long a hub for Christian mission into the Middle East - warrants close attention and ardent prayer. Please pray.

* EGYPT: 'BLASPHEMY' AND ABDUCTION

In recent weeks, Egyptian authorities arrested numerous citizens accused of 'blasphemy', including several Christians. On 11 November, police arrested Christian teacher Youssef Hany and a female Muslim student over comments they had made on Facebook deemed to have defamed Islam. Both were charged with insulting a 'heavenly religion' and released on bail. Social media subsequently lit up with threats to kill the blasphemer (Hany). Also on 11 November Coptic Christians Ayman Rida Hanna and Mounir Masaad Hanna were referred to the criminal court, accused of mocking Islam and insulting religion. The men had been arrested in June 2019 after they appeared in a video discussing prayer in Islam and held in pre-trial detention ever since. Furthermore, on the evening of 8 November, Nabil Habashy Salameh (61), was abducted near his home in Bir al-Abd, North Sinai Province, a region long-plagued with terrorism and largely 'cleansed' of Christians [see RLPB 396 (1 March 2017)]. A Coptic Christian businessman, Mr Salameh, is responsible for building the only church in Bir al-Abd. Mr Salameh was snatched off a busy street by three gunmen who forced him into a stolen get-away car and sped away firing shots into the air. The family holds grave fears for his life. Please pray.

* INDONESIA: 'BLASPHEMY' AND THREATS

In 2016, as leader of Indonesia's Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), Rizieq Shihab (55) led the 212 (2 December) anti-blasphemy protests against Jakarta's former ethnic-Chinese Christian governor Basuki Tjahaha 'Ahok' Purnama [see: RLPB 383 (9 Nov 2016)]. In April 2017 Shihab fled pornography charges in Indonesia after he was found sex-texting with a woman not his wife; the charges were subsequently dropped. 

On 10 November, after three years in self-imposed exile in Saudi Arabia, the firebrand Islamist anti-blasphemy campaigner returned to Indonesia to launch a 'moral revolution'. Many thousands of white-clad Islamists filled the airport and lined the highway to ensure Shihab received a rapturous hero's welcome. The Indonesian government has been rocked by the cleric's obvious popularity. The 212 anti-blasphemy movement might have fragmented in Shihab's absence, but the cleric has announced a 212 reunion for 2 December 2020. Tensions are soaring.

On Sunday 15 November a 40-second video clip was uploaded to FPI's YouTube channel. It shows Rizieq Shihab demanding the Indonesian government act swiftly against anyone accused of blasphemy. 'To the government, especially the police, let us tell you: If you don't want what happened in France, where someone who insulted the Prophet was beheaded, then we implore you to [follow up on] reports on blasphemers. If [the police] fail to process [accusations of blasphemy], then don't blame the Muslims when a head is found on the streets.' The trend bodes ill for Indonesian Christians. Please pray.

* IRAN: JAIL AND INTIMIDATION

On 17 November, Article 18 reported that four more Christians had received prison sentences in Iran. 'Mehdi Akbari, Fatemeh Sharifi and Simin Soheilinia were given 10 years, and Mehdi Roohparvar five, all under the same charge of "acting against national security by forming a house-church".' Article 18 can verify that 'Mehdi A and Mehdi R are both now serving their sentences in Ward 4 of Tehran's Evin Prison. ... It is therefore assumed that Fatemeh and Simin are in the women's ward of the prison ...' Little is known about their case. Article 18 also reports that on 11 November intelligence agents raided 12 Christian homes in Fardis, on the western outskirts of Tehran. Nobody was arrested, but phones, laptops, Bibles and everything that had anything to do with Christianity were confiscated. Please pray for the Church in Iran.

* IVORY COAST: CHRISTIAN CRISIS LOOMS

Deeply divided Ivory Coast went to the polls on 31 October [see RLPB 572, 'Election Peril' (20 October)]. Violence erupted before the election after the incumbent Alassane Outtara (a northern Muslim backed by colonial power France) announced he would run for a third term, violating the constitution, which sets a two-term limit. Leading opposition candidates (non-Muslim southerners) called for a boycott. On 9 November the same Constitutional Council that approved Outtara's unconstitutional candidacy confirmed his victory, having secured 94 percent of the vote. Opposition supporters took to the streets, only to be attacked with stones, machetes and firearms. Amnesty International reports 55 deaths and 282 injuries between 31 October and 10 November. At least 20,000 southerners have been displaced, with some 8000 fleeing into neighbouring states, particularly Liberia and Ghana. Numerous leading political opposition figures have been arrested, including presidential candidate Pascal Affi N'Guessan who has been charged with 'attack and conspiracy against the state authority, murder and acts of terrorism'. President of Laurent Gbagbo's Ivorian Popular Front party, N'Guessan served as Prime Minister under President Gbagbo (a Christian) from 2000-2003; his whereabouts are unknown. Once a hub for Christian missions into West and North Africa, Ivory Coast is again on the brink of an ethno-religious civil war and full-blown Christian crisis. Please pray.

* UGANDA: PASTOR MURDERED FOR HIS MINISTRY

map: location circled.
Mourners at burial of slain pastor David Omara.
Wednesday 4 Nov. (Morning Star News)

On Saturday 31 October a mob of fundamentalist Muslims ambushed and murdered Pastor David Omara (64) of Christian Church Center, presumably to end his Gospel ministry. Well known as a radio preacher, Pastor Omara had just finished a radio broadcast, in which he compared Christianity and Islam, when he received a phone call supposedly from an appreciative inquirer requesting a meeting. Pastor Omara and his son, Simon Okut, left the studio in Aduku (24km east of Apac), Kwania District, Northern Uganda Region, at around 9pm. Simon Okut told Morning Star News: 'As we arrived at the said [meeting] place, there came out of the bush six people dressed in Islamic attire, and they started strangling and beating my father with blunt objects.' Upon learning the news of her husband's death, Pastor Omara's wife wailed, fainted with shock and had to be admitted to hospital. The couple have eight children aged 30, 26, 22, 20, 18, 15, 13 and 10. Concerning Omara's ministry, a colleague remarked, 'He worked tirelessly for the kingdom of God to the day he breathed his last breath.' Please pray.

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Elizabeth Kendal is an international religious liberty analyst and advocate. She serves as Director of Advocacy at Canberra-based Christian Faith and Freedom (CFF) and is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Arthur Jeffery Centre for the Study of Islam at Melbourne School of Theology.

She has authored two books: Turn Back the Battle: Isaiah Speaks to Christians Today (Deror Books, Melbourne, Australia, Dec 2012) which offers a Biblical response to persecution and existential threat; and After Saturday Comes Sunday: Understanding the Christian Crisis in the Middle East (Wipf and Stock, Eugene, OR, USA, June 2016).

See www.ElizabethKendal.com 

RLPB 572. Ivory Coast: 31 October Election Peril

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 572 | Wed 21 Oct 2020
RLPB is published weekly to facilitate strategic intercessory prayer.

Please forward this prayer bulletin widely and encourage others to sign up to “Follow by email” on the Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin (RLPB) blog. ‘For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds’ (2 Corinthians 10:4 ESV). 

IVORY COAST: 31 OCTOBER ELECTION PERIL
Plus update on Iranian adoption case
By Elizabeth Kendal

Tensions are boiling over in Ivory Coast as campaigning commences for the profoundly controversial and potentially explosive 31 October presidential election. On 7 August incumbent President Alassane Ouattara announced that he would run for a third term, violating the constitution which sets a two-term limit. The Constitutional Council which validated his candidacy also rejected 40 of 44 candidates. The four approved candidates are: the incumbent Alassane Ouattara (78, party: RDR), former president Henri Konan Bedie (86, party: PDCI-RDA), Pascal Affi N'Guessan (67, party: FPI [Gbagbo's party]) and Kouadio Konan Bertin (51, long-time member PDCI-RDA, now running as an independent). Ouattara has refused to negotiate. On Thursday 15 October, Bedie and N'Guessan responded by calling for a boycott of the polls.

click on map to enlarge

Alassane Ouattara secured power in the disputed elections of November 2010 - elections that were supposed to bring healing to a land torn apart by a civil war that had left the mostly Muslim north of the country under the control of Muslim 'rebel' militias. Most critically, the November 2010 election pitted Ivorian nationalists versus French neo-colonial interests. Contrary to mainstream media reports, Ouattara (a northern Muslim and France's man in Ivory Coast) did not win the election. Rather, the pro-Ouattara Electoral Commission overstepped its authority and declared Ouattara the winner based on provisional results. His opponent, Laurent Gbagbo (a Protestant Christian and ardent nationalist; party: FPI) contested the result and requested the Constitutional Council investigate. The Constitutional Council - the only body constitutionally empowered to determine the winner - investigated and subsequently declared Gbabgo the winner. A stalemate ensued. To break the stalemate, Gbagbo proposed that an international commission be established to investigate the election and declare the result. However, the UN Secretary General's Special Representative inexplicably rejected Gbagbo's proposal and sided with Ouattara. [Analysis by former South African president, Thabo Mbeki (29 April 2011).] 

Backed by French military forces (including helicopter gunships) and a multitude of northern Muslim militias and Islamic jihadists, Ouattara proceeded to seize power by force, all the while claiming the moral high ground. In April 2011 the besieged Laurent Gbagbo was arrested and delivered to the International Criminal Court (ICC), charged with crimes against humanity. [In January 2020, the ICC acquitted Gbagbo of all charges. However, the prosecutor has launched an appeal. Denied a passport, Gbagbo is trapped in Brussels.] More than 3000 died in the associated ethnic-religious violence of December 2010 to April 2011, as pro-Ouattara northern Muslims (many of whom were immigrants) and jihadists (many of whom were foreigners) fought pro-Gbagbo southern peoples, Christians and nationalist Ivorians wanting an end to exploitative French neo-colonialism in Ivory Coast. The same ethnic-religious battle lines are forming again today. Clashes are already occurring, except now Ivory Coast's military and police include large numbers of northern Muslim former rebels. Having fought against the government from 2002-2011, they were incorporated into the security forces after Ouattara was inaugurated as president.

Since August, when President Ouattara announced his candidacy, clashes have erupted in numerous southern localities. While the clashes are political, they play out along ethnic and religious lines. Clashes have erupted in Daoukro, the hometown of candidate Henri Konan Bedie; Bongouanou, the stronghold of candidate Pascal Affi N'Guessan (whose home and offices were torched); the southern cocoa-growing hub of Divo; and the opposition-held districts of Abidjan (the commercial capital). On 13 August opposition supporters were protesting in Yopougon district, Abidjan, when they were violently attacked and dispersed by pro-Ouattara militias operating in collusion with police. Amnesty International reports that dozens of militiamen armed with machetes and clubs arrived in Yopougon in minivans and on motorbikes where they were met by police officers who directed them to the protest sites. With militants vastly outnumbering the on-duty police, many of the protesters - who were not armed - sustained terrible injuries. Election violence has already claimed at least a dozen lives, with more than 100 wounded. The situation is dire.

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT OUR SOVEREIGN GOD WILL

* intervene in grace and mercy to defuse the political crisis in Ivory Coast before it explodes into another round of ethnic-religious violence; may President Ouattara see sense and step aside, choosing peace over power for the sake of the nation.

* grant divine wisdom to all Ivory Coast's Christian leaders - those in politics, law, journalism, community service and Church ministry - that they might know how to lead God's people and even a divided nation though the difficult days ahead; may they have grace, wisdom and influence to be peace-makers during these volatile times. 'Blessed are the peacemakers ...' (Matthew 5:9)

* draw the Ivorian Church and the Body of Christ ever deeper into prayer for the nation of Ivory Coast; may grace prove more enduring than fear, hurt or bitterness; may mission to Muslims flourish and be blessed with effectual power from the Holy Spirit; may the Church continue to grow in faith, hope and love, secure 'in the shadow of your wings' (from Psalm 57:1 ESV), sustained by God's all-sufficient grace.

'Three times I [Paul] pleaded with the Lord about this, that it [a specific trial/suffering] should leave me.  But he [the Lord] said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."' (from 2 Cor 12:8-10 ESV).

SUMMARY FOR BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
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IVORY COAST: 31 OCTOBER ELECTION PERIL

Tensions are boiling in Ivory Coast ahead of the controversial and potentially explosive 31 October presidential election. President Ouattara's announcement that he would run for an unconstitutional third term has sent tensions soaring. In the south, clashes have erupted. While these clashes are political, they play out along ethnic-religious lines with northern Muslims backing Ouattara and southern peoples, especially Christians, backing the opposition. The battle-lines mirror those of November 2010, when a disputed election triggered ethnic-religious violence in which some 3000 Ivorians died. Since then, thousands of northern Muslim former 'rebels' have been incorporated into the military and police, raising the stakes. In the commercial capital, Abidjan, on 13 August police officers colluded with armed pro-Ouattara Muslim militants, letting them attack opposition supporters unhindered. The situation is dire. Please pray.

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UPDATE on Iranian Adoption Case

Around the same time last week's RLPB 571 was posted out, Article 18 reported that 120 lawyers and activists had written an open letter to the head of Iran's judiciary - Ebrahim Raisi (an ultra-conservative hardliner) - asking him to overturn the court's decision to remove Lydia (2) from her Christian adoptive parents, Sam and Maryam. The letter raises issues of international and domestic law and cites Iran's own constitution. It appeals to common decency and compassion, especially in considering the needs of vulnerable children. It recognises Sam and Maryam as 'well respected' and 'honourable citizens of the country', noting that 'with great moral care, dignity, and humanity, [they] requested custody of a child from the welfare organisation, to which this institution also agreed through its legal procedures. And during the subsequent two years, their adopted child has become their shining light.' Please continue to pray for Sam, Maryam and Lydia, that indignation will grow and spread, and that this cruel decision (which sets a chilling precedent) will be overturned.

See RLPB 571 (14 Oct 2020) for prayer points.

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Elizabeth Kendal is an international religious liberty analyst and advocate. She serves as Director of Advocacy at Canberra-based Christian Faith and Freedom (CFF) and is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Arthur Jeffery Centre for the Study of Islam at Melbourne School of Theology.

She has authored two books: Turn Back the Battle: Isaiah Speaks to Christians Today (Deror Books, Melbourne, Australia, Dec 2012) which offers a Biblical response to persecution and existential threat; and After Saturday Comes Sunday: Understanding the Christian Crisis in the Middle East (Wipf and Stock, Eugene, OR, USA, June 2016).

See www.ElizabethKendal.com 

RLPB 400. March Update. Incl. Egypt, Syria, Eritrea, India, Assyrians in Iraq; Nigeria, Prisoners in Iran and China; Somalia, West Africa

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 400 | Wed 29 Mar 2017

by Elizabeth Kendal

Please forward this prayer bulletin widely, and encourage others to sign up to the Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin blog. "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." (James 5:16 NIV)


MARCH 2017 UPDATE -- this month we prayed concerning ...

* EGYPT (RLPB 396), after 'Islamic State in Egypt' threatened Coptic Christians in North Sinai and called for IS sympathisers to report the whereabouts of Copts. Seven Copts were murdered in a matter of weeks, triggering an exodus of Copts from the Sinai.

UPDATE: According to the spokesman for the Coptic Orthodox Church, Rev Boulos Halim, an estimated 310 Coptic families were uprooted during the crisis in late February and early March; other sources report higher figures. Whilst around 200 families have settled in Ismailia (on the Suez Canal), other families are settling in Port Said, Asyut, Minya, Sharqia, Gharbia and Cairo. Kasr al-Dobara Evangelical Church in Ismailia has registered the displaced Copts to ensure they receive ongoing assistance. Many believe they will never be able to return to their homes. Despite this being 'the largest wave of collective displacement in Egypt since the June 1967 war' (Al-Monitor, 20 March) the international response continues to be one of stone cold silence. Pray for Egypt and its Church.

* XINJIANG, CHINA (RLPB 397), where a massive security crackdown is under way. Though focused primarily on Islamic jihadists and separatists, the Communist Party is keen to consolidate its control over all of society. Consequently, the Church in Xinjiang -- especially the house church movement -- is experiencing increased repression and persecution.

* EGYPT (RLPB 398), where Coptic Christian girls are disappearing into the hands of Islamic trafficking gangs and sexual slavery at the rate of one girl every two days.

* DAMASCUS, SYRIA (RLPB 399), where a new al-Qaeda-led jihadist coalition known as Hay'at Tahrir al Sham (HTS: 'Assembly for the Liberation of Syria') is threatening security in the capital.

UPDATE: On Tuesday 21 March, HTS fighters staged a car bombing in the Abassiyin area of north-eastern Jobar district. Just 2km from the walls of the Old City, it is the same district HTS invaded on 15 March. As would be expected, the Syrian Army's response has been ferocious. Despite having been driven back, HTS still boasts its ability to strike terror. With HTS threatening Damascus and Hezbollah threatening Israel (from southern Syria), the situation is growing increasingly complicated. Pray for Syria and its imperilled, remnant Church.


MARCH 2017 ROUND-UP -- also this month ...

* ERITREA: IMPRISONED AND ABUSED TO DEATH

click on map to enlarge

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports that two Protestant Christian women who had been detained in Wi'a military camp died in Massawa Hospital on 17 March, five days after being admitted. Imprisoned for their faith, the women had commenced a hunger strike in protest at their treatment. CSW has learned that the women's bodies showed clear evidence of violent sexual abuse. When the women died the authorities confiscated their medical records, doubtless to eliminate evidence of human rights abuses. CSW has also learned that a significant number of Christians were arrested on Christmas Eve and forcibly marched barefoot to an unknown location. Eritrea is one of the most violently repressive and abusive totalitarian states in the world. Christianity has been under sustained and targeted attack since 2002. Pray Psalm 10 for Eritrea; pray the LORD will intervene.

* INDIA: IMPUNITY EMBOLDENS ATTACKERS

On 17 March Assemblies of God pastor Ajay Kumar and Bible college student Assaryav were lured into a trap in Begusarai, Bihar state and then bashed by Hindu militants. Not only did police not intervene, they subsequently arrested the two Christians on charges of 'forcible conversions'. Kumar and Assaryav remained in custody until after midnight when they were released on bail, charged with 'deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of any class of citizens of India' under sections 295/295-A of the Indian Penal Code. A minority comprised mostly of the poor and marginalised, the Indian Church has little voice or influence inside India. The situation is extremely serious.

'I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.' (Psalm 121:1-2 ESV)

UTTAR PRADESH ELECTIONS (update to RLPB 394): The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has secured a landslide win in Uttar Pradesh. Opting to ride to power on the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who campaigned on a platform of economic development, the BJP did not even name a candidate for Chief Minister. Only when it had won a majority -- securing 225 of the 403 seats -- did the BJP name hard-line Hindu cleric Yogi Adityanath (44) [click here for profile] as the new Chief Minister. A New York Times editorial described this as 'a shocking rebuke to religious minorities', adding that 'nothing stands in the [BJP's] way of realising its long-held dream of transforming a secular republic into a Hindu state'. Pray for India and its Church.

* IRAQ: DISPLACED ASSYRIANS NEED ONGOING AID

Sources have told World Watch Monitor that the supplies sustaining displaced Assyrian Christians in northern Iraq could run out 'within weeks'. However, they do note that the UN agencies which have long ignored the Assyrians have changed their outlook since US President Donald Trump threatened to reduce US funding to the UN, and are now pledging more assistance. Without ongoing aid, the remnant Assyrians -- whose numbers have fallen from 1.4 million in 1987 to around 200,000 today (most of whom are displaced and destitute) -- 'could disappear within the next six to 12 months'. They are indeed 'a threatened people on the verge of extinction, the victims of horrific genocide'.  Pray that the Lord will supply all their needs, realising that while God does work miracles, more often than not he works through his Church, through us, his  'human instruments'. [See www.ElizabethKendal.com/Action ]

* NIGERIA: CHRISTIANS KILLED AS FULANI EXPAND SOUTH

Christians continue to be killed and driven from their homes and farms by southward migrating Fulani Muslims who appear to be guaranteed impunity. Morning Star News reports that on 11 March suspected Muslim Fulani herdsmen killed at least six Christians in Tombo-Mbalagh, Benue state, bringing the total number of Christians killed in rural areas of Benue so far this year to 29. In neighbouring Nasarawa state, more than 200 have been killed and 500 wounded since the start of this year, while homes and farms have been destroyed. Two Christians (including a village chief) were killed and hundreds displaced when Fulani attacked a local congregation of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Oshugu village on Sunday 19 March. Commenting on the constant state of insecurity one survivor lamented, 'no one is doing anything about it'. Pray for God to intervene in Nigeria.
 
* PRISONERS ALERT: IRAN AND CHINA

Iranian Christian convert, Maryam Naghash Zargaran, is again in urgent need of medical care [RLPB 372 (24 Aug 2016)]. Maryam, an evangelist who has been incarcerated in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison since March 2013, suffers with Atrial Septal Defect, a congenital heart defect also known as 'hole in the heart'. Due for release in July 2017, Maryam is struggling with serious depression and weight loss, along with other symptoms consistent with a deteriorating heart condition. Please pray.

Pastor Yang Hua
See: China Aid Association

ALSO in urgent need of medical care is Yang Hua, pastor of the 700-member, Protestant Living Stone Church in China's Guizhou Province. Arrested in January 2016, Yang -- who had been resisting pressure to register the church with the Communist-controlled Three Self Patriotic Movement -- was sentenced on 26 December to two-and-a-half years in prison for allegedly 'divulging state secrets'. Today Yang Hua's legs are so severely inflamed that he is at risk of paralysis. Without treatment his condition could require amputation. He has been given pain killers, but not the prescribed penicillin or specialist care. Denial of medical care is in reality a form of torture. Please pray. 

'Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.' (Hebrews 13:3 ESV)

* SOMALIA: MORE CHRISTIANS ASSASSINATED 

Morning Star News reports that one night in February, armed militants from al-Qaeda affiliate al-Shabaab broke into the home of a Christian convert family in Afgoi, in Somalia's Lower Shebelle Region. Shouting 'Allahu Akbar' they shot converts Suleiman Abdiwahab (38), his wife Faduma Osman (35) and their son Ahmed Suleiman (11). Neighbours rushed in to find Suleiman critically wounded with bullet wounds to his chest; his wife and son dead. Three other children aged 13, 9 and 7 managed to escape. The neighbours took Suleiman to hospital; the family has since been relocated. May God bring healing to this grieving and traumatised family and protect and preserve his imperilled Church in Somalia.

* WEST AFRICA: JIHADIST COALITION FORMED
Just as it has done in Syria, al-Qaeda is advancing its strategic policy of jihadist unity in West Africa. On 2 March four jihadist entities -- Ansar Dine, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) Sahara branch, Al Murabitoon and the ethnic Fulani 'Katibat Macina' -- announced they had merged to form Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims). The Mali-based coalition is loyal to al-Qaeda chief Ayman al Zawahiri and AQIM head Abdelmalek Droukdel. This is bad news for the Church and all Christian people-groups across West Africa. It further raises the stakes in volatile IVORY COAST which was recently rocked by mutinies in the former rebel capital of Bouake and at a Special Forces base in Adiake just 90km east of the port city of Andijan. [See Ivory Coast: Troubles Far From Over, by Elizabeth Kendal, 9 March 2017.] May God protect and preserve the Church in West Africa.

'Put not your trust in princes ... Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God ... The Lord loves the righteous ... but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.' (From Psalm 146)

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Elizabeth Kendal is an international religious liberty analyst and advocate. She serves as Director of Advocacy at Canberra-based Christian Faith and Freedom (CFF), and is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Arthur Jeffery Centre for the Study of Islam at Melbourne School of Theology.

She has authored two books: Turn Back the Battle: Isaiah Speaks to Christians Today (Deror Books, Melbourne, Australia, Dec 2012) which offers a Biblical response to persecution and existential threat; and, After Saturday Comes Sunday: Understanding the Christian Crisis in the Middle East (Wipf and Stock, Eugene, OR, USA, June 2016).

See www.ElizabethKendal.com 

RLPB 348. Ivory Coast & Yemen: Terror Escalates

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 348 | Wed 16 Mar 2016

Please forward this prayer bulletin widely, and encourage others to sign up to the Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin blog. "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." (James 5:16 NIV)

IVORY COAST & YEMEN: TERROR ESCALATES 
By Elizabeth Kendal

IVORY COAST: AL-QAEDA STRIKES CHRISTIAN WEST AFRICA

click on map to enlarge

At 1 pm on Sunday 13 March heavily-armed masked gunmen from Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb's (AQIM's) al-Murabitoon struck Grand-Bassam, a beach resort town in south-eastern Ivory Coast (IC), killing 14 civilians and two soldiers. Only 40km south-east of IC's commercial capital, Abidjan, world heritage listed Grand Bassam served as the French colonial capital between 1893 and 1896. AQIM's al-Murabitoon is the same group that targeted the Splendid Hotel in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, over 15-16 January, killing 29 civilians, including seven Christian aid workers. In November 2015 it attacked the Radisson Blue in Bamako, the capital of Mali, killing 22 civilians. AQIM is the same group that is holding Australian missionary Dr Ken Elliot (81), seized in northern Burkina Faso, and Swiss missionary Beatrice Stockly, seized in Timbuktu, northern Mali. [See RLPB 431 (27 Jan 2016). Note: Jocelyn Elliot has since been released.] AQIM's strike in Grand Bassam was a strike deep into 'Christian' West Africa.

In Grand Bassam the terrorists roamed the beach shooting beach-goers and opened fire on the guests at the L'Etoile du Sud hotel to shouts of 'Allahu Akbar' (Allah is Greater).  Nearby Sacred Heart Cathedral opened its doors to offer shelter -- first to dozens of people fleeing from the beach, then to some 50 hostages liberated by police from the L'Etoile du Sud. According to local media, Ivorian security forces were on high alert, having been advised 24 hours earlier that a terrorist attack was imminent. Southern Ivory Coast is predominantly Christian. If AQIM is looking for soft targets full of 'infidels' (local and foreign), the many churches, international schools, business centres and tourist resorts of southern Ivory Coast would prove hard to resist. Pray for security in Ivory Coast.

YEMEN: ISLAMIC STATE KILLS NUNS, KIDNAPS PRIEST

Yemen was two states before 1990: North Yemen (facing the Red Sea) and South Yemen (facing the Gulf of Aden). North Yemen was 60 percent Shia and existed as a Shia Imamate for 1000 years until 1962 when nominal Shia, Arab socialist Ali Abdullah Saleh seized power in a military coup. South Yemen, however, was 99 percent Sunni with a significant Marxist element. When the two states united in May 1990, cracks immediately appeared. Not only were the Shi'ites now a 30 percent minority, but with power based in Sanaa in the north, the southerners, feeling marginalised, started agitating for secession. When civil war erupted in 1994, President Saleh employed jihadists -- veterans of the Afghan War -- to fight his enemies. When a Shi'ite rebellion erupted in 2004, it quickly developed into a regional sectarian proxy war with Iran backing the Shi'ites and the Arabs (led by Saudi Arabia) backing the Sunnis. [For background see Religious Liberty Monitoring, label: Yemen] Though President Saleh was removed in the 'Arab Spring', no political solution has been found to Yemen's problems. The state remains blighted by sectarian war, with foreign powers backing opposing sides while al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and Islamic State (IS) compete for territory and recruits. It is doubtful the remnant (mostly expatriate) Church will survive.

On 4 March IS jihadists stormed a retirement home run by Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity in the highly strategic southern port city of Aden. The terrorists went room to room handcuffing elderly residents who were then taken outside and shot. When the terrorists came across Father Tom Uzhunnalil (56), an Indian Salesian priest, praying in the chapel, they locked him in. Fr Tom had been living at the charity home since September when AQAP sacked and burned his Aden parish [see RLPB 340 (15 Dec 2015)]. Along with three staff and at least eight elderly residents, four nuns were killed in the attack. Another nun managed to survive by hiding in a fridge; she is now on her way home to India. All these missionaries had resisted calls to leave Yemen, opting to stay and continue serving those in their care. After the slaughter, the jihadists returned to the chapel, handcuffed Fr Tom and took him away. His whereabouts remain unknown.

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT GOD WILL

* intervene to deliver the foreign missionaries recently taken into captivity: Dr Ken Elliot and Beatrice Stockly (both captives of AQIM in northern Mali) and Fr Tom Uzhunnalil (a captive of IS in Yemen); may the captives be safe and filled with the peace of God.

'Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings' (Psalm 17:8 ESV). 'And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus' (Philippians 4:7 ESV).

* grant divine wisdom and insight to local civic and church leaders in troubled and insecure regions, thinking particularly of war-ravaged Yemen and vulnerable Ivory Coast. May the local people be alert (Acts 23:12-24); may the Church be sensitive to the Spirit's leading (Acts 16:6-10) and may the schemes of the wicked come to nothing (Psalm 146).


SUMMARY FOR BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN WHOLE ARTICLE
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TERROR ESCALATES IN IVORY COAST & YEMEN 

On Sunday 13 March, jihadists from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb's al-Murabitoon struck the south-east coast of Ivory Coast. They shot beach-goers and patrons at the L'Etoile du Sud hotel -- 16 died. Some 100 terrified civilians found sanctuary in the nearby Cathedral as Ivory Coast security forces battled the militants. Southern Ivory Coast is predominantly Christian. Pray for Ivory Coast and its security. In Yemen on 4 March, jihadists from Islamic State massacred 12 staff and residents as well as four foreign nuns at a Missionaries of Charity retirement home in Aden. They also kidnapped Father Tom Uzhunnalil (56), an Indian Salesian priest; his whereabouts remain unknown. Meanwhile, Yemen is wracked by warring internal Islamic factions. Please pray for Yemen and for its remnant, servant Church.

------------------------------------------------------------

Elizabeth Kendal is the author of http://www.turnbackthebattle.com/thebook.html (Deror Books, Dec 2012) which offers a Biblical response to persecution and existential threat.

Elizabeth Kendal’s new book, After Saturday Comes Sunday: Understanding the Christian Crisis in the Middle East, presently being published by Wipf and Stock (Eugene, OR, USA), will be available shortly. 

RLPB 172. Ivory Coast: thousands displaced in renewed terror

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 172 | Wed 15 Aug 2012

IVORY COAST: THOUSANDS DISPLACED IN RENEWED TERROR

By Elizabeth Kendal

In early December 2010, disputed elections left Ivory Coast with two Prime Ministers. After Alassane Ouattara declared himself the winner, the Constitutional Council declared Laurent Gbagbo the winner. Alassane Ouattara's rebel forces then moved (with French backing) to take power by force. In March 2011, at the height of the crisis, pro-Ouattara Muslim rebels, whose tribal origins lie in the north, rampaged through western Ivory Coast. They massacred hundreds and displaced tens of thousands of mostly ethnic Guéré, the traditional landowners who are predominantly Christian and supporters of Laurent Gbagbo. By early April 2011, the Catholic mission in Duékoué was hosting more than 27,000 severely traumatised, mostly Christian and ethnic Guéré refugees. 

The displaced Guéré have been unable to return home because their homes have been occupied by 'rebels' -- i.e. by pro-Ouattara militiamen who have since been taken into the new Ivorian Army,  the FRCI (Forces Républicaines de la Côte d’Ivoire). Furthermore, the west remains incredibly dangerous, over-run by armed criminals and undisciplined 'soldiers', as well as with 'dozos' -- traditional hunters who work as mercenary enforcers for the FRCI. While many displaced Guéré have been able to find refuge with friends and family elsewhere, over 5000 have been settled in the nearby Nahibly camp guarded by UN peacekeepers.

On the night of 19 July 2012 four ethnic Malinké (Muslims) were killed during an armed robbery in Duékoué's Kokoma neighbourhood. The next day, a massive crowd of 'dozos' and ethnic Malinké, along with other Muslim tribes, descended on the nearby Nahibly camp supposedly to enact 'revenge'. (Numbers vary widely, but according to Ann Encontre, head of the UN refugee arm UNHCR in Ivory Coast, the attackers numbered around 3000.)  At least eleven Guéré refugees were killed and more than 60 wounded as the invaders, armed with machetes, clubs and rifles, attacked the inhabitants, doused the camp in petrol and burnt it to the ground. The UN 'peacekeepers' have explained that they did not fire on the invaders because they wanted to avoid 'a massacre'. Terrified refugees, who fled to 'peacekeepers' for assistance, report being chased away or pushed into the arms of their attackers who then beat them mercilessly in front of the 'peacekeepers'.  According to the UN, Ivorian security forces are supposed to be responsible for security at the camp but none were present. The attack forced some 5000 predominantly Christian ethnic Guéré refugees to flee into the ungoverned, inhospitable bush.

Bah Léontine, who managed to escape with her family, says the attackers screamed: 'No Guéré moves! No Guéré moves! If you move we will kill you.' She said, 'The war is over, why are you still pursuing us?' They replied, 'We don't want to see Guéré in Duekoue.' Bah managed to get her family safely into the bush, where they hid for three days before finding refuge in the town hall in Duékoué. 'It's God who saved us,' she says. Other survivors fled back to the Catholic mission in Duékoué. However, the priest has reported that the mission has also been threatened by 'crowds of angry youths'. The UN human rights agency has condemned the Nahibly attack which it says was 'clearly ethnically motivated'.

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT THE LORD WILL --

* draw his people close to him, comfort them and increase their faith, answering their prayers and supplying their every need for food, shelter, medical aid, security, wisdom and spiritual guidance.

* revive his Church so that Ivorian Christians will not lose hope but will rediscover the power and grace of God -- the very same God who totally transformed their nation 100 years ago.

In 1913-14, when Ivory Coast's population was estimated at less than one million, the Liberian evangelist William Wadé Harris baptised over 100,000 new converts over 18 months. The population of Ivory Coast today is some 20 million. Pray for revival and that God will send out workers into his harvest field (Matthew 9:38). Pray for two million converts during 2013-14.

SUMMARY FOR BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
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THOUSANDS DISPLACED IN RENEWED TERROR IN IVORY COAST

In March 2011 tens of thousands of predominantly Christian Guéré were ethnically cleansed from their lands in western Ivory Coast by Muslim rebels loyal to presidential aspirant Alassane Ouattara. The Guéré have never been able to return because their homes have been occupied by Muslims. Some 5000 Guéré who remain displaced have been living in the Nahibly camp in Duékoué, which is protected by UN peacekeepers. A massive Muslim mob stormed the camp on 19 July 2012. Armed with clubs, machetes and rifles, they killed at least eleven refugees, wounded 60 and burnt the camp to the ground, leaving the 5000 mostly Christian ethnic Guéré displaced yet again. The UN has condemned the attack that it says was 'clearly ethnically motivated'. Please pray for Christians in Ivory Coast.

RLPB 157. Africa: Christians targeted from east to west

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 157 | Wed 02 May 2012

AFRICA: CHRISTIANS TARGETED FROM EAST TO WEST
By Elizabeth Kendal

Security is deteriorating rapidly for Christians along Africa's notorious ethnic-religious fault-line: roughly between the 5 to 10 degree north parallels. Genocidal Islamic jihad has displaced Christians in Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Nigeria, Mali and Ivory Coast. Multitudes of predominantly Christian, ethnically southern Ivorian refugees feel forgotten. Displaced during the French-backed Islamic coup of April 2011, they remain desperate and vulnerable, unable to return home because their homes and farms have been occupied by pro-Ouattara supporters who are being protected by armed 'dozos' from the north.  Appointed by Ouattara's Republican Forces (former 'rebels') to crack down on crime, 'dozos' are a 'brotherhood of initiated traditional hunters renowned for their mystical powers'.

Further to this, terrorist groups such as al-Shabaab in Somalia and Kenya, the Government of Sudan, Boko Haram in Northern Nigeria and eastern Mali and Ansar Dine in Northern Mali are targeting Christians continually. These groups are seeking at the very least the subjugation of Christians and in some places their total eradication. The jihadists receive support from Islamist governments and from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) which gets most of its funds from trafficking drugs, weapons and human beings.

TERROR IN KENYA

After Kenyan troops crossed into Somalia to fight al-Shabaab in October 2011 the Somalia-based jihadists threatened Kenya with 'a long, protracted war'. On Saturday evening 31 March militants believed to be from al-Shabaab hurled explosives into a prayer meeting in the coastal town of Mtwapa, just 16km from Mombasa. A woman and a nine-year-old boy were killed while around 30 others were wounded. On Sunday 29 April some 50 believers were worshipping in God's House of Miracles International Church in Nairobi when a militant simply walked in and hurled a bomb at the altar. 'I heard a blast and then around me everyone was covered in blood,' said Steven Mulinge, the church pianist. One person was killed while 15 others were treated in hospital for shrapnel wounds. Four victims with critical injuries have been transferred to Kenyatta National Hospital.

TERROR IN NIGERIA

On Sunday 29 April believers worshipping at Bayero University in the northern city of Kano  were targeted by militants from Boko Haram. The jihadists attacked the open-air service outside the faculty of medicine, throwing explosive devices amongst the worshippers then chasing and shooting believers as they fled. They also attacked a worship service being held in the sporting complex, again throwing explosive devices amongst the believers who were then chased and gunned down as they fled. Twenty-one people were killed and more than 20 were treated in hospital for gunshot wounds. In an almost simultaneous attack, six Boko Haram gunmen burst into a Church of Christ in Nigeria chapel the northeast city of Maiduguri, spraying bullets throughout the sanctuary. Whilst the worshippers escaped with wounds but no fatalities, the pastor and three others who were preparing to serve communion were found dead in the sanctuary. 

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT GOD WILL --

* cut the lines of support that keep these jihadists armed and paid; may he sever relationships, smash networks, destroy trade and smuggling routes and remove key players so that the jihadists will be starved of resources. May the 'horns' [strength] of the wicked be cut off, and the 'horns' [strength] of the righteous be lifted up. (Psalm 75:10)

' . . . in the name of the LORD I cut them off!' (Psalm 118:10 ESV.)

* intervene for the sake of his imperilled people to infuse wisdom, courage and commitment into fearful, reluctant, equivocating and short-sighted African governments. 'The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.' (Proverbs 21:1 ESV)

* be a shield and provider for his displaced and frightened people; may he heal their wounds, shelter and protect them, provide their every need and increase their faith. (Psalm 18)

SUMMARY FOR BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
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CHRISTIANS TARGETED FROM EAST TO WEST IN AFRICA

Islamic jihad has displaced Christians in Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Nigeria, Mali and Ivory Coast. Terrorist groups such as al-Shabaab in Somalia and Kenya, the Government of Sudan, Boko Haram in Northern Nigeria and eastern Mali and Ansar Dine in Northern Mali are targeting Christians continually. On Sunday 29 April some 25 Christians were killed and dozens wounded when jihadists launched terror attacks against church worship services in Nairobi, Kenya, and in Kano and Maiduguri, Northern Nigeria. The two groups involved -- al-Shabaab and Boko Haram -- both receive support from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), as does Ansar Dine, the group that has driven Christians from northern Mali. AQIM gets most of its funds from trafficking drugs, weapons and human beings. Please pray for these Churches.

123. August Update; Incl. Iraq, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Zimbabwe

AUGUST 2011 UPDATE

By Elizabeth Kendal

'Then I said, "I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High." I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds . . . You are the God who works wonders.' (Psalm 77:10-12,14a ESV)

AUGUST 2011 UPDATE -- during August we prayed for . . .

INDONESIA (RLPB 119), where Christians are facing escalating violent persecution fuelled by impunity, primarily in Papua and West Java, especially the Bogor and Bekasi districts. It is reported there were 64 violent attacks on religious freedom in 2010, up from 18 in 2009 and 17 in 2008.

UPDATE: In December 2010, Indonesia's Supreme Court and Ombudsman Commission ruled in favour of the Taman Yasmin Indonesian Christian Church in Bogor, West Java, confirming the legality of its building permit. Despite this, the church remains sealed and Bogor authorities continue to obstruct and threaten the members. Now the mayor of Bogor, Diani Budiarto, is pushing for a law to forbid churches opening on streets bearing Islamic names. The Yasmin church is on Jalan Abdullah bin Nuh, a street named after the noted Islamic cleric Abdullah bin Nuh (died 1987). President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is remaining silent on the issue. If mayor Budiarto can defy the courts with impunity, the law will be rendered meaningless. Pray for Indonesia.


SUDAN (RLPB 120), where the predominantly Christian Nuba peoples of South Kordofan are facing starvation at the hands of a genocidal regime.

UPDATE: On Tuesday 23 August, while visiting Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan, Sudan's President Omar el-Bashir announced a two-week ceasefire. He also confirmed that no humanitarian aid groups would be permitted to enter the war-ravaged region where hundreds of thousands of predominantly Christian Nuba have been displaced. The Secretary-General of the SPLM-N, Yasir Arman, is accusing Bashir of 'using food as a weapon'. Arman regards Bashir's declaration of a ceasefire as nothing more than a 'public relations stunt'. He believes Bashir is actually preparing for a major military offensive in South Kordofan. Despite the ceasefire, bombing is reportedly continuing. Pray for God to intervene for his people.


VIETNAM (RLPB 121), where religious persecution is escalating against Christian activists in the cities and the ethnic minority Christians in the Central Highlands.

UPDATE: AsiaNews reports (29 August) that the disappeared Catholic activists are imprisoned in Hanoi and will go on trial shortly. They are charged with attempting to 'overthrow the people's administration', under Clause 2, Article 79 of the Vietnam Penal Code. Sources told AsiaNews the prisoners have been allowed to receive food and clothing but not prayer books. The fate of two Protestants arrested at the same time is unknown. In the coming weeks, Vietnamese Christians across the nation -- Catholics and Protestants -- will hold candlelight prayer vigils for religious freedom. Pray in solidarity with them.

PAKISTAN (RLPB 122), where Christian security is increasingly tenuous.

UPDATE: As noted in RLPB 122, anti-blasphemy law campaigner Salman Taseer was assassinated on 4 January. Now his son Shahbaz Taseer has been kidnapped, seized in an ambush on 26 August. Some experts believe Shahbaz might be used as a bargaining chip by militants seeking the acquittal of Salman Taseer's assassin, Mumtaz Qadri. Meanwhile, in increasingly Islamised and Talibanised Karachi, a virtual war between militias backed by political parties and sectarian groups has left some 400 dead. The violence is also hastening the ethnic-religious polarisation of the city. Christians are especially vulnerable amidst such lawlessness. Christian homes and churches have been threatened and pelted with rocks recently in Karachi, mostly by the ethnic Pashtuns. They are backed by the Taliban and live in Pashtun-dominated districts near the Christian colony. Pray for all Pakistan's Christians and religious liberty advocates.


AUGUST 2011 ROUND-UP -- also this month . . .

* IRAQ: MANY CHURCHES BOMBED IN KIRKUK

On Monday 15 August a bomb exploded outside Saint Ephrem's Syrian Orthodox Church in Al Ummal Square, central Kirkuk, causing major damage but no casualties. It was the third church bombing in Kirkuk in two weeks. The previous night, four bombs exploded simultaneously inside Kirkuk's Saint Afram Syriac Orthodox Church. Whilst there were no casualties, it was the first time insurgents had managed to detonate bombs planted inside a church. On 2 August, 15 people were wounded including church staff when a car bomb exploded about 5:30am outside the Holy Family Syrian Catholic church in Kirkuk. Bombs were subsequently found and defused outside the Saint Giwargis Church of the East and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in the Almass district. Kirkuk Archbishop Louis Sako told Aid to the Church in Need, 'This is only happening because we are Christians. Maybe the people responsible want to empty the city of Christians. Please pray for us. Pray for peace and stability. We are afraid.' Pray for Iraq's besieged Christians.


* IVORY COAST: ONGOING DIRE SITUATION FOR CHRISTIANS

The UN peacekeeping mission in Ivory Coast is deeply concerned about continuing serious human rights abuses in Ivory Coast. From mid-July to mid-August the mission documented 26 extra-judicial killings, 85 illegal arrests and 11 rapes, all committed by the former rebels who now make up the official army of Ivory Coast. According to the acting human rights chief in the UN Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), Guillaume Ngefa, predominantly Christian ethnic groups continue to suffer cruel and inhumane treatment and violation of property rights at the hands of pro-Ouattara Islamic forces. Pray for the Christians of Ivory Coast.


* NIGERIA: CHRISTIANS TARGETED IN PLATEAU STATE

Twenty-four Christians were killed in Plateau State during August in targeted attacks by Islamic militants in collusion with uniformed Muslims from the Nigerian Army. Ratsa Foron village was attacked on 11 and 15 August: 6 dead. Chwelnyap community in Jos was attacked on 14 August: 2 dead. Heipang village was attacked on 15 August leaving 10 dead, including 9 members of one family. Kwi, Loton and Jwol villages were attacked on 21 August: 6 dead. In each attack uniformed soldiers of the Nigerian military, including those from the Special Task Force (a unit tasked with stopping sectarian attacks), accompanied the militants and even participated in the killings. Plateau governor Jonah Jang has called for immediate withdrawal of the Nigerian Army because, he said, Muslims in the army are taking sides with the Islamist assailants. This situation is extremely serious.

Gada-biu is the Christian-dominated district of North Jos Local Government Area where multiple bombs exploded on 24 December 2010 resulting in around 90 deaths. (Boko Haram claimed responsibility -- see RLPB 088.) Consequently, local Christians did not want Muslims celebrating Eid-el-Fitri (end of Ramadan) in that area and so made a formal request that they celebrate elsewhere. On Monday 29 Aug 2011 strife erupted between the district's local ethnic Christians and Muslims going down Rukuba Road to celebrate Eid-el-Fitri in the sensitive area. The clash left 20 people dead and more than 100 wounded. Reportedly 'most' of the dead and wounded were shot by soldiers firing indiscriminately. At least 50 vehicles, 100 motorcycles and two shops were torched. Accounts vary widely about who provoked whom and what actually occurred. Tensions are high. Please pray for Nigeria.


* ZIMBABWE: ANGLICAN PASTORS EVICTED

On 4 August Zimbabwe's Chief Justice issued a temporary ruling placing all Anglican properties under the control of excommunicated, pro-Mugabe bishop Norbert Kunonga. (See 'Zimbabwe: Chief Justice grants excommunicated Kunonga control over Anglican properties', Religious Liberty Monitoring, 17 Aug). According to The Zimbabwean (27 August) Kunonga's thugs have evicted 27 Anglican pastors and their families violently from their church-owned homes since the ruling was issued. Reverend Jonah Mudowaya was severely beaten in Chinhoyi on Wednesday 24 August by a Kunonga gang. In a bid to stop the evictions, lawyers representing the Anglican Diocese of Harare have filed a Constitutional appeal against the Chief Justice's ruling on the grounds it was issued while the matter was the subject of a Supreme Court appeal. The Chief Justice has noted the Constitutional appeal but says it will not interfere with his order. While the Anglican Church awaits the Supreme Court ruling, the excommunicated Kunonga is exploiting the opportunity this gives him to seize the church's assets. Please pray for justice in Zimbabwe.

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