27 January ’21 | Pray For The Central African Republic

At midnight on Thursday 21 January, a 15-day nationwide state of emergency began in the Central African Republic (CAR) in response to outbreaks of violence in the wake of last month’s disputed re-election of President Faustin-Archange Touadera.

Former president Francois Bozize is accused of instigating the violence after the Constitutional Court rejected his candidacy for the 27 December presidential election. Opposition candidates were angered over President Touadera’s win with 53% of the vote and claimed election irregularities.  The Constitutional Court ruled against these claims but the violence and protests have persisted.

The country’s highest court said the election turnout was hampered by armed groups, which impacted voters’ ability to cast their ballots. President Touadera has expressed his willingness to engage in talks with all those desiring to work towards peace and the development of the country. In 2019, to suppress the unrest, the government and rebel groups entered into an agreement; however, this has not ended the violence.

On Wednesday 13 January, rebel forces launched a coordinated attack on Bangui (the capital), to dispute the election result and gain control of the country. They were pushed back by a partnership of UN peacekeepers and Central African forces. Due to the recent escalation in violence the UNHCR has said that at least 60,000 people have fled their homes to seek refuge in neighbouring countries and more than 58,000 have been internally displaced.

The ongoing instability and violence is rooted in the Central African Republic Bush War which began in 2004 and, despite attempts at peace in 2007 and 2011, continued in 2012. Armed insurgents, imprisonments, torture, restrictions on movement and freedom of the press have all contributed to the chaos in the Central African Republic. Notwithstanding the incredible wealth of CAR’s natural resources (minerals and arable land) it remains among the ten poorest countries in the world, with the lowest GDP per capita.

According to the Joshua Project, 70.5% of the population profess to be Christian. However, it is argued by Voice of the Martyrs that a more accurate figure of 30 per cent represents Bible-believing, active and faithful followers of Christ.

There are those who falsely identify as Christian, who have formed their own militia group, the anti-Balaka, who have perpetrated similar atrocities as the predominantly Muslim rebel groups. Christian leaders who have publicly denounced the violence have been threatened.

CAR is ranked 35 on the Open Doors World Watch List which states that Christians are specifically targeted, life is uncertain for them and churches have even been burned down or plundered. According to The Voice of the Martyrs, the ongoing civil war has presented opportunities for the church to display Christ’s love, however, many churches feel ill-equipped to carry the burdens of their people.

Please join with us in praying for the Central African Republic.

“God shapes the world by prayer, the more praying there is in the world the better the world will be, the mightier the forces against evil.” (E.M Bounds)