More Than Trees are Falling

February 29, 2008: The BBC wrote an interesting article about the trees that are being felled on Charles De Gaulle Street in N'Djamena, one of the most important streets in the capital city. I have a nostalgic feeling about these trees that we so often did not notice when we would be downtown buying supplies or enjoying breakfast at a café, but whose absence would have spoken loudly. They brought shade and life to an otherwise hot and dry place. But because the rebels were able to hide behind them in the fighting, and may do so again, the Chadian government decided that they needed to be cut down.
In an arid country like Chad, one does not just decide to cut trees down without a reason. They will take decades to grow back, IF all goes well. So, despite their verbal assurances of having dealt a decisive blow to the rebels, the Chadian government has shown by their actions that they expect the rebels to be back soon, because actions show better what's inside than words.
Because of ambition and power, this conflict is cutting down more than innocent trees. Please pray for the innocent and suffering whose only home is the capital city, and for a lasting peace to come to Chad as soon as possible.

Click here to read the original BBC article

A bit of good news

February 26, 2008: According to tchadactuel.com, opposition politician Lol Mahamat Choua was returned to his family home in N'Djamena this evening by government soldiers. In a press release, Government officials indicated that this was a goodwill move leading up to the visit to Chad of French President Nicholas Sarkozi tomorrow.
Lol Mahamat Choua is the president of the RDP party, who disappeared at the same time as Yorongar Ngarlédji and M. Ibni Oumar Mahamat Saleh on February 3rd.
As he arrived home, Lol Mahamat Choua was very tired. He is currently under house arrest, and all non-family members were asked to vacate his home. Government officials say the house arrest will continue until the courts can conclude their investigation regarding his relationship with the rebellion forces, a claim his entourage immediately denies.
We thank God for his safe return to his family. Let us pray together that his freedom would be fully restored to him soon.

Click here to see the original AFP article

Pray for eastern Chad refugee camps

February 19, 2008: Helicopter gunships are bombing the Jebel Moun mountains of Sudan, not far from the Chadian border. Sudan's army spokesman said the army had begun a "cleansing" operation of the whole area. As a result, twenty thousand civilians directly caught in the cross-fire are fleeing into Chad in the past few weeks, and 160,000 others are in imminent danger. And with the diminished UN personnel on-site, for most there is nowhere to call for these people, but to God.

As the UNHCR tried to move about 8,000 newly arrived refugees away from the border, they were stopped by an unknown armed group. Thus, these newly arrived refugees remain in danger.

Please pray that God would intervene on behalf of these who need Him so desperately in this troubled time.

Original Articles:
http://africa.reuters.com/top/news/usnBAN956093.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7252300.stm

http://www.irinnews.org/fr/ReportFrench.aspx?ReportId=76816

Fiji nationals stuck in Chad contact family

Friday, February 08, 2008

The Fijian missionary family serving in Chad has contacted relatives here to assure them they're safe and well.

Eliki Drodrolagi, his wife - Lavenia - and their two children are serving with the Christian evangelist Organisation called WEC International in Central North Africa.

Following the attempted coup by rebels in the capital last week, relatives of the Drodrolagi family here have been trying to contact them.

BBC News quoted aid agencies as saying at least 100 civilians were killed and up to 700 were wounded in the capital, N'Djamena, during the attempted coup.

In an email, Drodrolagi said the rebels passed through their town of Abeche on their way to the capital last week before the unrest.

Drodrolagi, who was in the South, managed to fly to Abeche to his family.

He said they've been warned by the French military to stay home for the time being.

However, Drodrolagi said another of their team members – the Fung family from Fiji - were among foreigners evacuated from the capital on the day and are now in the UK.

They are expected to return to Chad when the situation normalises.

Even though evacuation has been offered to foreigners in Abeche, the family says it's turned quiet in Abeche and N'Djamena at the present time.

But they've asked for prayers in support of their mission in Chad from families and friends in Fiji.

Full article: http://www.radiofiji.com.fj/fullstory.php?id=8310

Prayer Request from IFES

Please pray with us for Chad. Rebels are fighting against the army. Thousands of people are fleeing N'djamena, the capital city, and several Western countries are repatriating their nationals. The people of Chad are going through a great deal of suffering.

Augustin Ahoga, IFES Regional Secretary for Francophone Africa, urges us to pray: 'The people of Chad have no escape, whereas the expatriates can flee. Pray for the Lord to overrule in this situation!'

Pray too for Barka Kamnadj, General Secretary of UJC (the IFES student movement in Chad). We haven't been able to contact him. Please pray for grace, strength and peace as he goes through such a trial himself and tries to bring pastoral support to the movement and those around him. Pray that they will know God's presence and be able to see that 'The LORD is [their] rock, [their] fortress and [their] deliverer.' (Psalm 18:2)

In this time of suffering, we remember God's faithfulness to Chad in the past and thank him for the wonderful ways he has used the IFES movement there to pioneer student ministry in eight other countries across Francophone Africa.

Published: Tuesday 05 February 2008

Original location:
http://www.ifesworld.org/news/item.php?itemID=896

February 7: Summary Executions in an Environment of Anarchy

Although the rebel forces failed in their attempt to take over the capital and thus establish their rule over the country, their efforts were not without effect. As a result of the fighting in the capital city, the forces of law and order have broken down in the Chadian capital.
Things were bad in the past, and were gradually getting worse, but now there is no one...
- to arrest a murderer and give him due process under the law,
- to prevent soldiers from taking a vehicles and possessions away from innocent civilians,
- to issue visas or driver's licenses,
- or to give permission for acts of service to be accomplished in this needy nation.

The Celtel tower in N'Djamena was burned down, and the roads to N'Djamena from the east, south or north are closed for fear of highway robbery. This is an article by Amnesty international about civilians being summarily executed in N'Djamena by unknown forces in military uniforms. We do not know whose army these people represent, or even if they represent an army. Please pray for those who have stayed behind in Chad to do the "Lord's work," be they missionaries, pastors, development workers or civilians looking to fill a need with their business.

Amnesty International, February 7 2008:
"Amnesty International is alarmed at reports of extra judicial killings of civilians by armed men in Chad. The organization has called on the Chadian government to take urgent action to prevent extra judicial executions in the aftermath of clashes between rebel and government forces.

"We have received information that on 6 February at least three men were allegedly executed by members of the Chadian army. The dead bodies of these men were dumped in the river Chari. This morning, their bodies were reportedly picked up by agents of the Chadian administration" said Tawanda Hondora, Deputy Programme Director for Africa at Amnesty International. The identity of the three men is not known but it is thought they belong to the same ethnic community as the armed opposition groups which carried out attacks on the capital, N'Djamena, over the weekend.
"We are extremely concerned that the Chadian authorities are about to start a major witch-hunt against people perceived as belonging to the armed
opposition groups," said Tawanda Hondora."

Full article:
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/chad-authorities-must-act-prevent-extrajudicial-executions-20080207

February 6: Prominent Chad opposition members arrested

Here is an article from Amnesty International about opposition politicians who have been arrested and detained without any reason. Please pray that God would keep Lol Mahamat Choua, Ngarlejy Yorongar, Ibni Oumar Mahamat Saleh, and Wadel Adbelkader Kamougué; safe where they are, and that they would be released soon to their families:

"(Amnesty International): Four prominent members of the Chadian opposition have been arrested by security forces in N'Djamena. The whereabouts of Lol Mahamat Choua, Ngarlejy Yorongar, Ibni Oumar Mahamat Saleh, and Wadel Adbelkader Kamougué remain unknown since their arrest on Sunday. Amnesty International has received information suggesting they may be detained at the city's presidential palace. No legal justification has been given by the authorities for their arrest. A spokesperson at the Presidency told Amnesty International on Tuesday that "they can not confirm whether these four people have been arrested."A spokesperson for Amnesty International said that the men are at grave risk of being tortured or forcibly disappeared."

The full article is found here:
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/prominent-chad-opposition-members-arrested-20080207

Chadian Refugee Testimony

As you pray for Chad today, listen to the testimony of one of the approximately 20,000 refugees who have crossed the border out of N'Djamena, as heard by a BBC reporter:

"On Sunday, I saw men who were heavily armed coming towards the house. I think they were rebels.
I heard the sound of gun shots which was terrifying.
I ran to the window at the back of the building and managed to escape through it. I left my father and mother in the house. I ran and did not turn back.
I saw some other people I knew and managed to get a lift with them in one of their cars.
We saw a lot of fighting. Rebels were killing and shooting people. It was really dangerous.
I don't know what to do.
I telephoned my friend in N'Djamena and he told me that my mother, my father and my fiancee had all been shot.
I don't know whether to cry or kill myself."

Please pray for this man, and for the many others like him...

For the full report: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7228376.stm

Feb 4, 2008: StopGenocideNow.org Members Safely out

We thank God for the news that Gabriel, Katie-Jay, Joshua and Jeremiah of StopGenocideNow.org have made it out of Chad safely. Throughout the crisis, they posted their firsthand blogs, pictures and video about the situation on the ground:

www.stopgenocidenow.org/iact/iact4/reports

We have also heard that all of the Christian workers we know of in the capital city were also evacuated. Those in Abéché, Mongo, Bitkine, and Moundou have remained, and are safe. As this situation unfolds, Steve Godbold, who had been taken hostage in the mountains of Bardai, is still in the hands of the MDJT. Let us pray for these folks to be safe and effective in sharing God's Love in this time of turmoil.
At the same time, Gabriel and Katie-Jay personally testified in the video of their flight out of their concern for the Chadians and others they are leaving behind. Thousands of people crossed the bridges into Cameroon with the lull in fighting today. As they left, we hear that gunfire was being heard in various parts of N'Djamena. Let us pray for these Chadian refugees in Kousseri, Cameroon, that God would provide their daily food, water and shelter in this time where their world has been turned upside down. And we equally pray for the civilians of all faiths and ethnic groups who have been obliged to stay in N'Djamena to be safe and find protection in the only unfailing Refuge for our souls.

Pray for Chad

Chad has been in the news a lot lately, as rebels and government-backed soldiers "duke it out" to find out who will be in charge. The situation is changing so rapidly that a prayer letter will not suffice. What is needed is a place where you can go and find out what is going on, and how we got to this point.
No one can watch this situation unfold without having an opinion about who is right and who is wrong in this struggle for power. However, our goal in creating this blog is to help you pray informatively for our friends who are affected by this crisis, no matter what their political persuasion, ethnic group or religion. We will refer you to interesting websites about the country as we discover them, and pass on the news you need to know to plead with God with us for our "heart country".