Ministries advance amid growing tensions

The son of ICDI staff member Albert
 Yahimi was shot to death in April by
 troops in the Central African Republic.
 (Image, caption courtesy HCJB Global)

Central African Republic (MNN) ― Rebel violence is rising in the Central African Republic.

Nearly 400,000 people are now internally displaced according to the Geneva-based Assessment Capacities Project, or ACAPS. That figure almost doubled within the span of a month.

Jim Hocking with Integrated Community Development International (ICDI) works in the CAR with Living Water International and HCJB Global.

"What we're seeing on-the-ground is pretty much the collapse of the government," says Hocking.

That leaves people on their own against armed and dangerous Seleka militants.

"Because of that, people are leaving their homes, even in the capital city; I was there two weeks ago," Hocking reports.

"It's kind of a 'Catch 22,' in a sense, because although they're scared for their lives...they still have to live, they still have to provide for their families."

Central African legislature and civil society members met last week in Washington, D.C. to discuss the situation.

"The crisis that has been brought about by Seleka is now turning into a conflict between Christians and Muslims," Rev. Nicolas Guerekoyame Gbangou said through a translator.

Nearly all Seleka factions follow Islam, Gbangou explains, and approximately two-thirds of the group comes from countries outside the CAR. He says they're targeting Christians and trying to force their religion, customs, and traditions on communities and individuals.

"As they proceed through the country, they tend to destroy everything that is Christian," Gbangou states. "We've come to a point where people have had enough. They no longer are willing to tolerate these massacres and torture. People are starting to form self-defense groups.

"They're starting to buy machetes so they can defend themselves against aggressors, and we're now starting to take the path of Rwanda, if you will," he continues. "And maybe that's what it's going to take for the international community to finally intervene."

Along with leading a church in Bangassou, Gbangou is Chairman of the Regional Association of Evangelical Churches.

Despite growing religious tensions and rising violence, Gospel work continues.

"It has been difficult, but we have been able to accomplish actually MORE since May 1 than we have normally [during] this time of year," says Hocking.

ICDI teams have drilled 72 wells and performed over 400 maintenance visits. Hocking credits the success to ICDI's national staff, who dedicate their lives to sharing clean water and the Living Water of Christ. To this end, Living Water International is a crucial component.

"Living Water is a huge help with our maintenance program," Hocking states. "We're trying to keep the maintenance going on over 500 wells in the country, and keep the water flowing for the people in that country."

While Hocking was in the CAR recently, he attended training sessions for national ICDI workers with Jerry Wiles, President Emeritus of Living Water International. He says Wiles was teaching staff how to share the Gospel with villagers using orality.

"We trained all of our trainers and our maintenance teams that travel around," Hocking explains. "18 people had a follow-up training [so they could] become trainers, to help train even more people in the villages how to use Gospel stories, because it is an oral tradition there in the [CAR]."

The Gospel is the only glimmer of hope in a nation coming apart at the seams.

"Villages are continuing to receive Gospel tracts [and] receive encouragement from our staff," Hocking says. "Basically, a little touch of hope comes back to them that [there are] still people in the country who care about them."

It's up to you to keep hope alive in the CAR. By financially supporting the work of ICDI, Living Water International and HCJB Global, Hocking says you're helping them stay in the troubled nation.

"These organizations are what are giving hope to people in the Central African Republic," states Hocking.

The most important way to help is through prayer. Please keep praying for the Central African Republic. Pray for an end to religious tensions in northern CAR. Ask the Lord to bring peace to this troubled nation.

"Your prayers are going to make a difference in that country," says Hocking. "There isn't anything else that can really solve it."

CAR morphing into another Somalia?

(Cover photo courtesy of Africanarguments.org.
Story photo courtesy of Open Doors USA)

Central African Republic (MNN) ― The Central African Republic (CAR) has been on a tightrope ever since Seleka rebels overthrew the government in March.

But now this no man’s land may be developing into a humanitarian crisis, according to NGO groups.

“The CAR has been lost in everything that is happening in Egypt and Syria so it’s not on a lot of governments’ or people’s radars or the media.... We don’t want this to turn into another Somalia,” says Jerry Dykstra with Open Doors USA.

Workers with Open Doors in CAR say locals are talking about this "Somalization" of their nation. There are some differences between the situations, but also some similarities.

Dykstra explains, “Somalia has been without a government for years and years. In CAR’s case, the shaky government was overthrown in March and there was a group called Seleka. They forced the leaders out, took over, and since that time there has been tremendous unrest among the people; a lot of violence.”

After the March coup, a new government was established on June 16. Most of the leaders are Seleka with few opposing politicians. 180,000 people have been displaced in the chaos.

International groups suspended aid to the CAR after the coup. They look at what happened in Somalia with several NGO workers killed by rebel domination over the years. Aid organizations in CAR similarly fear for their safety. But when aid was pulled out of Somalia, citizens were hit the hardest with little access to vital resources.

As order in the CAR disintegrates, reports of rapes, robbery, and torture come out. Most recently, a Seleka colonel in Nola sent soldiers to kidnap a 13-year-old girl. The colonel raped her, and soldiers assaulted her parents when they tried to intervene. A co-worker with Open Doors writes, “In the Seleka movement, soldiers are only answerable to their commander and not the president.”

Dykstra says Christians’ safety is also in jeopardy. 50% of the population in CAR is Christian and 15% are Muslim. Christian communities in CAR claim their Muslim neighbors are joining Seleka’s violent campaigns, according to Open Doors.

“It’s not like Christianity is a minority religion, but ever since the coup in March, the Muslims have increased their persecution of Christians at the expense of Christians fearing for their lives,” says Dykstra.

Somalia is 5th on Open Doors World Watch List for worst persecution of Christians. Several other African nations aren’t too far behind. Dykstra states the developing situation in the CAR raises concern. “I would think CAR would move up the list next year, and so we pray that won’t happen, that things will settle down and that Christians and Muslims will get together and respect each other’s faith.”

NGO’s have brought together leaders in Christian, Catholic, and Muslim communities to dialogue and prevent further unrest. Four imams, four pastors, and four priests are part of the initiative and will train on how to prevent conflicts. Then they will spread out to various cities and hold meetings to prevent conflict.

The Catholic clergy also sent a letter “to convey the message of peace and hopefully to implore the new leader, Michel Djotodia, to break his silence on the violence of the Seleka group and for him to say hold off and to promise not to bring Sharia law into that country,” says Dykstra.

Open Doors workers ask through Dykstra, “We need your prayers. We hope this does not turn into a wild state, a gangster state, a jungle. Pray for the future.”

Central African Republic: Coup leader tightens grip on power

Central African Republic (MNN) ― The issue of child soldiers haunts the troops in the Central African Republic.

South African soldiers sent to support the CAR government reported their suspicions following the fall of the capital and the ouster of the president.

Steven Wolcott, a Regional Executive Officer at Africa Inland Mission (AIM), commented, "That is a very common occurrence with rebel groups in Central Africa." However, he went on to note that "I haven't heard anything specific that way, other than some news reports. From sources on the ground that we have, I haven't heard that directly."

So, while the reports may still need further investigation, it does reveal an underlying chaos at the heart of the CAR. After days of looting and chaos, rebel soldiers seem to have secured the area. In the meantime, CAR's Prime Minister formed his new government. Seleka, a coalition of three rebel groups, launched its insurgency in December, accusing ousted president Francois Bozize of failing to honor earlier peace deals signed with rebels in the conflict-prone country.

The concern comes from the high percentage of Seleka rebels who form the cabinet leadership. Wolcott explains, "The new leader has come in from the north of the country and has ties, it seems, with Sudan and also with Chad and some of the Islamic groups up there. So it does seem as though there's tension."

Reports from groups like Open Doors confirm the reality of religious tensions. Wolcott says it's hard to figure out what their team is doing because of how uncertain things are. "From the church people that we're in contact with, that is a huge concern. What is going to be the long-term impact, the future impact against them?"

It's also not an isolated incident, he observes, noting similar changes in Arab Spring countries. "They (Islamists) want to cover all of Africa, and so they're pushing hard to do that in whatever way they can, trying to bring in leaders who are in tune with that."

The questions that have to be answered before more outreach strategy forms are: "'What is the security situation really on the ground?' and ‘Is it really possible to do ministry in a way that's effective?' Those are issues with the Church and as a mission." Wolcott says an assessment team is going in. "There's a trip planned for next week to go and look and talk with the Church to figure out what the next step should be. It's just really difficult with the LRA and now, with the Seleka rebel group coming in."

An already difficult ministry field, there is a risk that the coup could interfere further. AIM has been trying for years to get teams into the CAR. "The Lord's Resistance Army and [leader Joseph] Kony have been up in that area since 2008. Because of that, it's been really difficult to actually move ahead, to function, to do discipleship." Wolcott explains that it's not logistics they're assessing. It's much more basic. "The bigger issue is just one of survival of the local pastors, believers just being able to survive the things that are going on against them: the LRA coming in, raiding their gardens, abducting people, killing people."

What can be done? Pray. Wolcott cited the story of Gideon in the Old Testament and noted its similarity to the situation facing believers in CAR. In a seemingly impossible situation, God intervened and used Gideon and a handful of faithful leaders to save Israel. "I'm praying that the Lord would raise up Gideons, and that as we pray together against the schemes of Satan that are opposed to us, we will actually see advances and see God intervene on our behalf, just as he did in the Gideon story."