Displaying items by tag: Africa

Ashenafi Hailu was racing on his motorcycle to the aid of a friend trapped by the Ethiopian government’s military offensive in the Tigray region when a group of men on foot confronted him, identifying themselves as militia members of a rival ethnic group. They dragged him by a noose to save bullets. As the noose tightened around his neck he thought he would die. He passed out and awoke alone near a pile of bodies. His motorcycle and cash were gone. Nearly 50,000 Ethiopians fleeing Tigray have sought safety in Sudan, in what the UN called the worst exodus of refugees Ethiopia has seen in over two decades. Reports of looting, ethnic antagonism, and killings are at odds with Ethiopia’s prime minister saying, ‘No civilians are being hurt.’ Worrying prospects are that the fighting is degenerating into a guerrilla war that could unravel both Ethiopia’s national fabric and the stability of the entire Horn of Africa region, including Eritrea and Sudan.

Gary Smith, one of the evangelists at a two-week outreach, writes, ‘Tonight was the last night of the crusade in Singida. The last two weeks have been absolutely incredible with thousands of salvations, miracles, and people filled with the Holy Spirit. I am rejoicing in all that the Lord has done. I’ve heard testimonies from bishops and pastors who are overjoyed as many new believers joined their church this morning. This is worth every dollar spent and every day away from family, to see people saved and planted into the local church. It’s not just making converts but to make mighty disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ! Hallelujah!’

An attack on 28 November by Boko Haram terrorists on farmers working in rice fields in northeastern Nigeria killed at least 110 people. ‘The incident is the most violent direct attack against innocent civilians this year. Many women are also believed to have been kidnapped. Security forces and volunteer vigilante groups are searching to find people still missing. Locals say they recovered 43 bodies in villages near Maiduguri, the capital of the restive Borno state, which has been plagued by an armed campaign for over ten years. A local resident said, ‘Nobody knows the exact number of people killed. We can’t account for farmers who were there; we don’t know if they are hiding in the bush or if they were kidnapped.’ Pray for God to comfort the mourners. See also

A married Christian couple, detained for being ‘apostates and evangelists spreading Christianity’ in Muslim-majority Somaliland, have been suddenly released and deported to Somalia, allowing them to subsequently travel with their youngest child to a safe country and be reunited with their two elder sons. The couple were arrested by police on 21 September when Christian material was found at their home. They made several appearances in the Somaliland regional court. Then European representatives raised the case with the ministry of religious affairs and the couple were unexpectedly released and ordered to be deported on 1 November.

A rocket attack by Tigray forces on Eritrea marks a major escalation of violence as thousands of Ethiopian refugees continue to pour into Sudan. The UN refugee agency says that over 20,000 people have crossed into Sudan from Ethiopia’s northern region, where federal government troops are battling forces loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the party of the regional government. The conflict, which has spilled over Ethiopia’s borders, threatens to destabilise the wider Horn of Africa region. The latest two-week war has killed hundreds of people. Ethiopia and Eritrea agreed in 2018 to end decades of hostilities, resulting in Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed winning the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. However, there is still a deep-seated animosity between Eritrea and the battle-hardened TPLF over the border conflict.

Survivors of a massacre at a school in the western Oromia region of Ethiopia reported that 54 ethnic Amhara were massacred, probably more. The Amhara are mostly Christians. About 60 armed terrorists, identifying themselves as the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), swept into Gawa Quanqa village, Guliso District at around 5 pm on 1 November. Some survivors were able to flee to a nearby forest while the assailants rounded up women, children and elderly who were unable to run away. Then they shot the defenceless group and burnt 120 houses. ‘This senseless attack is the latest in a series of killings in the country in which members of ethnic minorities have been deliberately targeted’, said Amnesty International.

Father José Arieira de Carvalho, a Portuguese priest who has lived in the DRC for over a decade, reported a critical situation in the north-eastern part of the country ‘where rebel groups roam across the region, looting and murdering. Recently the Lisasa village suffered a violent attack by rebel troops, claiming at least 21 lives, including that of catechist Richard Kisusi. There are reports that a Catholic church was defiled, several houses were burned down, and a medical post was looted. Bishop Sikuli Paluku Butembo-Beni called upon UN forces stationed in the region to protect the civilian population from attacks. In view of the escalating violence, the need for protection is becoming ever more pressing. The wealth of minerals has transformed certain regions of the country into a battleground for violent factions, bringing hardship and suffering to the people. It is believed there is a conspiracy between internal and external players to obscure ruthless exploitation of natural resources (mining, oil, woodland, and land).

Suspected IS-aligned militants herded dozens of fleeing victims to soccer fields to execute them and abducted others, in weekend raids in Mozambique. The commander of the police force said extremists carried out attacks on several villages in the Cabo Delgado province. They beheaded over fifty people, abducted women and children and burnt down homes. Then they went after those who had fled to the woods and continued their macabre actions. The BBC, and privately-owned Pinnacle News, reported that villagers in Mautide who tried to run were taken to the field and chopped to pieces. Police learned of the massacre committed by the insurgents through reports of people who found corpses in the woods The oil-rich Cabo Delgado province has seen a rise of terror attacks since 2017 by ASWJ militants who have officially pledged allegiance to IS Central Africa Province.

Cover Africa in Prayer - from Cairo to Cape Town and from Madagascar to Cape Verde -

As part of the International Day of Prayer for Africa, One God – One Day – One Africa and its partners from all around the world will pray for Africa from 06:00 to 22:00 CAT (Central Africa Time).

We are so excited because a week later the One God – One Day – One Africa celebrations will take place.

On 12-15 November our partners will host large Gospel crusades in almost every country of Africa. They will be broadcast all over the continent. Additionally, thousands of African evangelists committed to bringing the Good News to remote villages during that time.

Join, pray with us!

Set time aside to pray with us on 6 November. Let's storm the heavenly throne room and ask for breakthroughs in every nation of Africa. Let's pray for an end to the pandemic, an outpouring of the Holy Spirit and of course many open hearts to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

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Make a commitment to pray for an African country NOW at www.1GDA.org/prayerday

Protests against police brutality subsided after a violent crackdown: see Now the police chief has ordered more police resources after the curfew gave way to widespread vandalism and looting, including government food warehouses stripped bare. Shopping malls, TV stations, and banks were targeted, and also retail stores in popular Lagos shopping districts. Violence and looting have been reported in most states. Amnesty International said, ‘The turmoil has seen the worst street violence since Nigeria’s return to civilian rule in 1999. Wealthy politicians and individuals have been looted, emboldening hoodlums that crimes of this magnitude are achievable. In an effort to quell unrest, the government announced that the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) would be disbanded, and promised a host of reforms. But demonstrators are sceptical of government promises without clearly-specified timeframes. Pray for the police to successfully and peacefully prevent further hooliganism. See also