Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Trouble is Brewing

The Article below shows us what has been simmering under the surface all during the rainy season from May until now. The government forces and rebels are getting ready for the greatest clash of the Twenty-First Century. Please surround our beloved Chad in prayer at this time, that on the other side of all these troubles, Chad will find the peace and stability she so desperately needs...

October 7 (www.tchadactuel.com):

The Season of All Possible Hazards

The rainy season is over and everyone looks to the East. They are not to examining the sky to see if there will be rain or not. Rather, it is to try to discover when the "contact" between President Déby and the rebels will take place with its trail of misery for all Chadians. This "contact" will certainly happen, and both sides are preparing ardently. The rebels claimed that at the end of the rainy season, they will go hunting for Déby. As for President Déby, he has even suggested a date: October. Déby stated clearly in Amdjeress that his objective is to chase Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir out of power, and then he the rebels will disappear all by themselves.

Both sides are full of confidence and assurance. Déby has a serenity that he did not know before. The rebels say he is just putting a good face on a bad situation. While Déby has amassed an impressive armada of light and heavy weapons, transport planes, bombers, helicopters with night vision capabilities, etc... He has also sent all his war resources (physical and human) to the east. He has also invested heavily in buying consciences, both those of individuals and of ethnic groups. He does not skimp on ways and means, for he has plenty of them! Déby has allowed himself a stroll in Amdjeress, a region with a strong RFC presence. The rebels sneer, "Indeed, it is easy to go to Amdjeress when all the wadis are uncrossable because of the wetness of the season." In this rosy picture, there are few shady areas.

First of all, there is a perceptible tension within the President's family, along with various speculations: Déby reportedly escaped an assassination attempt, a palace revolution is apparently underway, and so on. Then his ally the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) is not in great shape because numerous deserters are bleeding out of their ranks, along with a strong lack of morale within the JEM ranks who are tired of being the mercenaries of Déby. There has been changes within the mobile regiment, Déby's shock troops. Tahir Erda, the Commander of the regiment, has been recalled to N'Djamena and has been replaced by a cousin of President Déby. He claims that this is simply a tactical decision because Tahir has remained long on the eastern front. Tahir Erda is the heart and lungs of the Déby defense forces. His being recalled from the eastern front just when the battle is about to begin is not at all a "tactical decision". Nor was the dismissal of Houno Abeguer Gouna a tactical decision, who is a strong fighter who is well known within the clan for not being afraid of a fight. We also learned that Déby's entourage when he traveled to Amdjeress asked permission to behead Younousmi. General Mahamat Saleh Brahim, the heat of the GNNT supported by Daoussa, is all the more determined to behead him, because he bluntly accuses Younousmi of being the principal financial donor for the rebellion! What a rat Younousmi is: as he provides financial help to Déby, he also provides financial backing to the rebellion! In another sign of impending shadows, desertions have resumed with a vengeance. There is not a day that goes by when at least one government soldier walks away and joins one of the rebel forces, often he bringing his vehicle with him. To close the brackets on the dark side of the troubles that seem to be working against Déby, it should be noted that the trench dug around N'Djamena has fallen in and become a very sandy dry river bed. Even the rains have voted in favor of the rebellion.

Contrary to the expectations of all their faithful supporters, the rebels have not at all advanced in terms of unity. Meetings take place within meetings, small discussions are happening within small discussions, and still nothing concrete has emerged from all this. Contrary to the concern of supporters who are watching this situation unfold from a distance, the rebels are highly optimistic and assure them that they will act in a united fashion, no matter what form their actions may take. AMEN!

Mahamat Ahmat
N'Djamena

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Steve Godbold is Released!

July 25, 2008 [TEAM]: The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM) is very pleased to announce the release of Cash Stephen Godbold, a missionary held captive in northern Chad for more than nine months.

Godbold was released by his captors in Chad on Thursday evening, July 24th. He was released near the town of Bardai in northern Chad, and is presently a guest of local officials in Bardai. Arrangements are in process to send an aircraft to Bardai to evacuate Godbold to N'Djamena. From there he will travel to the United States via Europe for reunion with family and colleagues, debriefings and medical checks.

Godbold was captured on October 10, 2007 in Zoumri in the Tibesti region of Northern Chad. He was assisting a Chadian non-governmental organization transporting water well drilling equipment into the Tibesti in order to provide clean and safe water to residents of the region. He is 49 years old and has served in Chad since 1991. He is married and has four children.

The Movement for Democracy and Justice in T'Chad (MDJT) claimed responsibility for Godbold's captivity. Mr. Choua Dazi, the President of the MDJT, made numerous statements to the international media and others during the months of captivity, reporting that Godbold would be released as early as last November. No explanation for the failure of the MDJT to honor those promises has been provided. Godbold was ultimately released following extensive negotiations between his captors and TEAM. TEAM emphasizes that Godbold's release was unconditional and that no ransom was paid and no concessions of any type were made to secure his release.

Dr. Charles Davis, International Director of TEAM, expressed gratitude and appreciation for the efforts of many organizations and individuals in Chad and the United States: "Governments, the church, other faith-based organizations and individuals worked together to make sure that Steve was kept safe and ultimately released. We are so very grateful for this assistance and praise God for every person and agency that helped bring Steve home."

Additional information will be provided as it becomes available during the repatriation and debriefing processes.

THANK YOU FOR PRAYING!

Picture and further information can be found at Reuters Africa (http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL6376781.html)


TEAM is requesting financial gifts to help pay for the contingency travel expenses to help get Steve Godbold Released.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Good News From Chad At Last!

March 2008: Neil and Pam Donoghue work in eastern Chad, providing custom made wheelchairs that are able to travel through the sand. They face many challenges in doing this. Because of daylight power limitations, all cutting and fitting is done with a hacksaw and file, with grinding done at night when they have electricity.
Last month, they received a very pleasant phone call from Mr. Mark Richard, the Director of Hope Haven International Ministries in South Dakota. He said he wanted to send them a container of 150 tricycle-type wheelchairs to Chad. What a wonderful blessing this would be for the 150 recipients who would find mobility as a result!
However, they are in Chad and often what appears on the surface to be so easy, oftentimes becomes very complex. There are still some logistical challenges, but they are convinced that if God wants those chairs to arrive, doors will open.
The Donoghues are currently working with the U.N. and an American aid organization and things are looking good. They have been impressed by their optimism and willingness to help.

They are asking us to pray for them:

"There were 6 hurdles for the gift of the 150 wheelchairs to be a reality, and there's only one more left...but it looks impossible, so, since we serve the God of impossibilities, would you pray with us, that if this is His will, it WILL happen!! The chairs will take about 20 minutes each to assemble and will work well in the rough conditions here in Chad. WHAT a huge blessing it would be for the 150! Guess what else they want to include in the container:

150........... Pairs of Crutches

30........... Walkers

40........... Seat Cushions

50........... Canes


So, pray hard with us, ok??
"

Chadian rebels launch town attack

Chadian rebels launch town attack
Chadian rebels (file image)
Chadian rebels have threatened to advance on the country's capital

Anti-government rebels in Chad have launched an attack on the town of Goz Beida, near the border with Sudan.

The United Nations reported fighting in the town, which is home to 15,000 Darfur refugees.

A rebel leader said Goz Beida had fallen to his forces and they would take the capital N'Djamena by Sunday.

Chadian Communication Minister Mahamat Hissene told the BBC that government forces were being organised to defend the capital.

The rebels reportedly launched an offensive in the east of the country on Wednesday, and Mr Hissene said the rebels were being armed and organised by Sudan.

They claim to have twice as many vehicles and men as when they attacked N'Djamena in February.

The insurgents had sought to overthrow President Idriss Deby and they managed to reach his palace before being repelled.


*** Please pray for God:

  • - to have mercy on the people of Chad
  • - to protect the innocent as this latest attack unfolds
  • - to bring lasting peace to Chad in which the country can move forward and develop in every way, as He chooses

Full Article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7454749.stm




Friday, May 9, 2008

Update on Steve; still held hostage


Mr. Godbold is a missionary with TEAM and has lived and worked in Chad for a number of years. On October 10, 2007 he was on a humanitarian mission, delivering equipment for water wells in the Tibesti when he was detained by MDJT forces in Zoumri. Mr. Godbold has been in the custody of the MDJT ever since.



PRESS RELEASE



TEAM Sends Plane For Hostage Steve Godbold

Following MDJT Announcement

For Immediate Release

April 30, 2008

The faith-based organization TEAM, located in the United States, announces that it has arranged for an aircraft operated by a medical non-governmental organization in Chad to fly to Bardai to receive Steve Godbold, who has been detained by rebel forces since October 10, 2007. TEAM also offers to allow a representative of the international media to accompany this flight to observe the process.


On April 28, 2008 the President of the MDJT, Mr. Choua Dazi, stated in an interview published by Liberté sans frontières and posted at www.dabio.net that Mr. Godbold is “free” and that the MDJT is seeking a means to facilitate his departure from the Tibesti region of Chad.

Mr. Godbold is a missionary with TEAM and has lived and worked in Chad for a number of years. On October 10, 2007 he was on a humanitarian mission, delivering equipment for water wells in the Tibesti when he was detained by MDJT forces in Zoumri. Mr. Godbold has been in the custody of the MDJT ever since.

During this period, spokesmen for the MDJT have promised several times to release Mr. Godbold:

  • On October 18, 2007 Mr. Dazi told a reporter from RFI “This is the beginning of our investigation. I think that in a week’s time it will be decided. If he is innocent, then he will be freed, no problem.”
  • On October 24, 2007 Mr. Dazi told a reporter from Reuters “In two or three days we will conclude (our investigation) and then we’ll see what preparations we can make to free him”.
  • On November 5, 2007 Mr. Hissein Yaya Barka, Assistant General Secretary of the MDJT, told a French website “After a two-week investigation we have made the decision to liberate (Mr. Godbold) in the coming days.”
  • On January 8, 2008 Mr. Barka issued a press release that said “On November 5th, 2007, we made the decision to release him (Godbold)”.
  • During this time, leaders of the MDJT also made private promises to a large humanitarian organization to release Mr. Godbold.

TEAM issued this statement today: “Although we do not understand why the MDJT did not follow through on its earlier public promises to release Steve, we appreciate and respect Mr. Dazi’s announcement yesterday that Steve is ‘free’. We have arranged for an airplane from a medical NGO based at a hospital in Chad to fly to Bardai as quickly as possible so that the MDJT can complete its commitment and return Steve to freedom. The airplane will go to Bardai on Friday, May 2. We call on Mr. Dazi and the rest of the leadership of the MDJT to honor their promise and their commitment and send Steve to Bardai to meet this plane.” TEAM also confirmed that it is seeking a member of the international media to accompany the flight as a guarantee of transparency and good faith in the process.

For further information, contact: cmt.presse@googlemail.com


Update: The plane went up to Bardai, and waited for the promised release of Steve. Unfortunately, Steve was not released, and the plane had to return without him. So the captivity of Steve continues...
Each day, our prayer for Steve has been, "Father, if today he is in the hands of the MDJT, may He be a blessing to those around him, for this is what he lives for. And if it is Your will, may Steve be released very soon and reunited with his family. Amen."

Killings of Humanitarian Workers in Chad and Darfur Cause Concern

UNITED NATIONS - / MaximsNews Network by Caroline Patton / - 01 May 2008 -- Over the last several months, several aid workers have died as a result of the unrest taking place in the two countries and the UN is worried about the safety of its personnel in the area. Because of the conflicts that have roiled both Chad and Sudan , the need for humanitarian assistance is particularly acute so disruption of operations could have terrible consequences.

Yesterday, Pascal Marlinge, the Country Director of Save the Children-UK, was killed in Chad en route to Adre in eastern Chad . The group of three aid vehicles was attacked by a pair of men carrying guns and wearing uniforms. Mr. Marlinge was from France and the UN has offered its sympathy to his family in the face of their loss.

This is not the first time such a killing has occurred. Towards the end of 2007, a driver for UNHCR in Chad died after being shot in an attack.

The UN has spoken out forcefully against the attack that led to the death of Mr. Marlinge and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes told the international community that “the targeting of humanitarian workers who are in Chad to help those suffering from civil strife is an inexcusable crime.”

Mr. Holmes added that “the UN welcomes assurances by the Government of Chad that this crime will be investigated.”

Mr. Merlinge’s death comes just over a week after a humanitarian worker died in Sudan . A 58- year old driver, on his first run, was killed while distributing much needed food and supplies in Darfur . The worker, Mohammed Makki El Rasheed, left behind six children. This makes two such deaths there in as many months.

Another driver died in late March and 60 WFP vehicles have been attacked in 2008, with the fate 39 of them, and 26 of the drivers, unknown.

These deaths threaten operations in the region since aid workers face the risk of being hurt or killed in ambushes like the one that killed Mr. Merlinge. Mr. Holmes said of today’s attack that “this despicable act is likely to exacerbate already challenging conditions in which humanitarian workers continue to provide much-needed relief to those in need.”

The WFP has already expressed concern to the Government of Sudan about the need to be able to protect its personnel and that of partner organizations. Already operations are hampered by strikes on UN trucks that make it difficult to move food and other necessities. As a result of last week’s killing in Darfur , food rations were reduced due to low supplies. The stockpiles of humanitarian agencies are well below where they should be.

In order to keep going its work providing for millions of people in Darfur , “WFP is calling on all rebel groups and their commanders on the ground to ensure safety along the roads where they operate, so that humanitarian food relief can arrive to those who need it.” It has also appealed to the Government for police to be assigned to go along with humanitarian supply transports to help prevent attacks.

--Caroline Patton


Click here to go to the original article

Please pray for Chad and Sudan. More and more it becomes apparent that the only solution to the troubles is a divine intervention from God (also known as a miracle). And we believe in miracles, right?


Sunday, April 13, 2008

3000 homeless after fire breaks out in Chad refugee camp

From Wikinews, the free news source you can write!

A fire broke out in a refugee camp in eastern Chad Friday, April 11, leaving 3,000 people homeless and injuring 10, according to the United Nations (UN) refugee agency United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Refugees have been living in the camp as a result of the conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan.

The fire started in the Goz Amer camp triggered by a cooking fire that had gone unwatched. The fire moved quickly through the camp due to high winds. Many of the refugees lost all of their belongings and food rations in the blaze. After receiving tents from the UNHCR in 2004, many of the refugees built traditional dwellings out of sticks and mud, and these shelters burned rapidly in the fire.

In a UNHCR press release, Emmanuel Uwurukundo, acting UNHCR head in Koukou-Angarana said: "Everybody around, refugees and all our partners alike, rushed to the spot and tried to extinguish the fire with whatever they had: clothes, extinguishers and water. The teamwork was outstanding."

In Geneva the UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres commented on the situation: "The refugees have already suffered so much tragedy and now face yet another trauma. I am deeply relieved that there was no loss of life in this devastating fire. We will do everything we can to help and to get shelter and food supplies to them as quickly as possible."

Families affected by the fire were housed at three area schools, and the UNHCR announced on Friday that it planned to deliver aid supplies including sleeping mats, blankets and kitchen sets. The World Food Programme was also asked by the UNHCR for an extra monthly food ration to be delivered to the families whose homes were destroyed in the blaze.

The Goz Amer camp houses about 20,500 refugees, and is located approximately 70 kilometers from the Sudanese border. Goz Amer is one of 12 UNHCR-run camps along the Chad-Sudan which all told contain over 240,000 refugees from Darfur.

Chad and Sudan signed a peace agreement on March 13 in an attempt to end a five-year conflict, and the leaders of both countries agreed not to back rebel groups that are active near their borders.

Approximately 2.2 million people from the Darfur region have left their homes since the beginning of the violence in 2003. The UN puts the number of deaths due to the Darfur conflict at over 200,000, and the Sudanese government has said that only 9,000 have died.

Please pray for God to intervene with His hand of encouragement and blessing on behalf of the refugees in Goz Amer, and all the other camps in eastern Chad and western Sudan.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Chad: High Civilian Casualties in Rebel-Govt Crossfire

UN Integrated Regional Information Networks

Ndjamena (IRIN): Fighting in recent years in eastern Chad between the government and rebels has usually taken place away from civilian populations, but in the latest battle on 1 April more than 50 civilians were killed and injured.

"One was a little girl who picked up an unexploded ordinance which then exploded in her face," Jan Peter Stellema, head of mission in Chad for the non-governmental organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), told IRIN.

The fighting, which took place in Adé near the border with Sudan, left seven civilians dead and 47 wounded, he said.

Medical workers from MSF and the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) treated the injured civilians on the spot in Adé expect for the nine most serious cases which were transferred to facilities at the regional capital Goz Beida.

Stellema said MSF is "pleased that access had been granted to treat the civilians", but he also expressed concern that Adé's 1,000 inhabitants and the 10,000 displaced Chadians living alongside them remain vulnerable to attack and that they have been neglected by international aid agencies.

"Adé has one of the most underserved populations in eastern Chad. The UN has not gone there because of security concerns nor are other humanitarian groups present."

Only MSF and the ICRC have projects in the area, Stellema said. "MSF is providing health care but people there need is so much more."

Representatives at ICRC expressed concern that an escalation of the fighting would further hamper the delivery of humanitarian assistance adding that the high number of civilian causalities at Adé was a worrying development.

"The type and setting of past armed confrontations in eastern Chad has led to a very limited number of civilian causalities," ICRC deputy head in Chad Nicholai Panke told IRIN by email. "ICRC calls on all parties to [continue to] spare civilians from hostilities."

Hundreds of civilians were killed in Chad's capital N'djamena in early February when rebels temporarily entered the city. Some of the civilian causalities occurred when government forces attacked rebels with helicopter gun ships, observers told IRIN.

In the meantime border tensions are mounting with Sudan reportedly accusing Chad of sending a helicopter into Darfur which bombed the town of Um Kenjub, and firing a missile on the Sudanese military in the area. Chad's government denied the report.

Following the 1 April attack in Adé, 47 injured soldiers were flown by the French army, which is based in Chad, for treatment in hospitals in the eastern town of Abeche and N'djamena, a diplomat who asked to remain anonymous told IRIN.

IRIN contacted a French commander in Chad but he would not comment.

State radio said on 3 April that the army recuperated 45 heavily armed pickups that the rebels had abandoned. There is no information on numbers of rebels injured but ICRC confirmed the Chadian army had taken prisoners.

"ICRC will visit them over the next days to monitor their conditions of detention, as we usually do with all captured opposition fighters in Chad," Panke said.


Original article was posted on AllAfrica.com

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

CHAD: Foreboding with first rebel attack since February

01 Apr 2008 20:11:31 GMT

Source: IRIN

NDJAMENA, 1 April 2008 (IRIN) - An attack on government troops early on 1 April at the town of Ade in eastern Chad on the border with Sudan is the first serious attempt by the rebels to challenge government forces since February when the rebels got as far as the capital N'djamena before withdrawing.

"The attack today [1 April] could just be a single event but we fear that it is the beginning of a much larger offensive," according to a diplomat in N'djamena who wished to remain anonymous.

Dozens of government troops and many civilians were injured in the fighting which ended around midday, according to a source in Ade. Information on the number of rebel causalities was unavailable, nor was it clear whether the rebels had retreated into Sudan or moved southeast in the direction of the Chadian village of Modoyna which is near the border.

Sources in Ade confirmed that the attackers were part of the rebel National Alliance (NA), which consists of at least three rebel groups headed by Mahamat Nouri a former Chadian general who led the attack on Ndjamena in February. "What the rebels do next is anyone's guess," said the diplomat. "Maybe they just wanted to rattle their sabers and that will be it or maybe this attack was a decoy for larger rebel attacks that could soon take place elsewhere along the border and we are about to witness something big."

"The important thing is that everyone is preparing for any eventuality," he added, referring to the evacuation from N'djamena of diplomats, international aid workers and tens of thousands of civilians during the February rebel offensive.

The Chadian ministry of defense issued a statement saying that Sudan is behind the latest attack and calling the rebels "mercenaries" of Sudan's government. It said that Sudan had violated various accords with Chad notably the one signed on 13 Match in Dakar, in front of the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and other world leaders. A Sudanese military spokesman told Reuters in Khartoum: "Sudan's armed forces had no hand in what is happening in Chad - this is an internal matter."

Adé sees heavy fighting

April 1, 2008 (AFP): Fighting erupted Tuesday morning in the far eastern part of Chad between rebels and the army, two months after the attack that nearly overthrew President Idriss Deby of Chad Itno in N'Djamena, according to a leader of the rebellion.

"There is fighting to Adé (a border town of Sudan), and they are still going," said Gadaye Ali, the spokesman of the National Alliance (AN), which includes most of the armed groups hostile to President Deby.

"Government forces arrived, they attacked us, we in turn attacked them and we are now occupying Adé," said another rebel official who requested anonymity, on joint satellite telephone from Libreville.

No Chadian army spokespersons were able to be reached at this time.

On February 2 and 3, after crossing the country from their rear bases in Sudan in less than a week, the Chadian rebels had attacked N'Djamena, causing Deby the president to hide out in his palace.

The latter later repulsed the rebels, with the assistance of military support from France.

Darfur: New Attacks in Chad Documented (Human Rights Watch)


Monday, March 17, 2008

Lots going on

March 16, 2008: Here are some of the latest prayer requests for Chad:
- 82 of the children staying at Bakan Assalam in Abeche, Chad, have been returned to their home village, to their parents. Please pray for their re-adjustment to the village, and that this experience would bring blessing to their future lives.
- The state of emergency over the whole country has been lifted, and a peace agreement has been signed by Omar Al Bechir, President of Sudan, and Idriss Deby, President of Chad. And yet, troubles still abound. The rebels threaten to attack the oil-rich south, and there are rumors of 200 rebel vehicles crossing the border into Chad last week. Pray for lasting peace, through the Prince of Peace, the only hope of Chad.
- Math teacher and political leader Ibni Omar Mahamat Saleh is still missing. Please pray for the truth to be known about his disappearance, and for his family who has been left behind.
- In N'Djaména, several thousand people have been made homeless as the government tears down hundreds of homes in the Goudji and Farcha neighborhoods. The people of these neighborhoods are majority Gorane, the ethnic group of the leaders of the rebellion forces. Please pray for these families in their suffering, for solutions to their current challenges.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Yorongar is free, Ibni Mahamet Saleh is not

March 9, 2008: After being released and received into exile in France, Ngarlejy Yorongar is interviewed about his experience in solitary confinement. However, he says that he personally witnessed the death of Ibni Mahamet Saleh, due to repeated beatings.
We thank God for his safe release, especially since many people believed that he was dead. Thank you for praying! Please pray for God to comfort the family of Ibni Mahamet Saleh as they absorb the sad news of their brave father, uncle and husband.

Here is the original interview with Yorongar

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Not all sweetness and light

March 1, 2008: According to several tchadactuel.com reporters, the reality of the situation in N'Djaména and the country is the worst it has ever been in living memory. We hear that Sudanese mercenaries, unwelcome in their home country because of their stand against the Sudanese government, fought to assist the Chadian government to stay in power. Ever since they succeeded in pushing the rebels against the Chadian government away, they have been pillaging the homes of innocent civilians. They have also been raping women and girls in their homes with impunity.
The government has also expressed its intention to evict everyone from the Diguel and Gardolé quarters (neighborhoods) in N'Djaména, for their presumed support of the Sudanese government.
These post-battle disasters are leaving ordinary Chadians everywhere in an uproar. Please pray that the pillaging and raping of the innocent would stop, and that peace can be found between the people and their government once again.

For more information:
N'Djaména, ville prison ou ville ou pillulent des prédateurs?
Peuple tchadien, ta lutte est juste

Friday, February 29, 2008

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

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

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

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

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

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

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.

Friday, February 8, 2008

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

Thursday, February 7, 2008

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

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

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

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

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.

Monday, February 4, 2008

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".