Pray for Sub-Saharan Africa

A three-day call of prayer for Nigeria and an update about an upsurge of violence against Christians in Burkina Faso

Seeking God’s intervention for Nigeria

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has called for three days of fasting and praying for their country. From Friday, January 31 to Sunday, February 2 they seek God’s intervention for the Boko Haram insurgency which is causing devastating attacks on the church. The government’s lack of initiative to curb the situation or provide answers is making things more difficult for Christians.

They seek our prayers for Leah Sharibu and the other kidnapped girls. They seek God’s protection for the soldiers and security forces combating the insurgents as well as the general situation of Nigeria, and prayers for the family of late Rev. Lawan Andimi, former CAN Chairman in the Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State who was recently killed by the terrorists.

Rev. Joseph Hayab, CAN Chairman, Kaduna State chapter confirmed: “We are calling on Christians that, as a mark of mourning, we should all appear in black clothes because we are mourning our beloved ones. We are mourning the calamity that has befallen us. We are mourning the lack of progress that we are experiencing in our country. We are mourning the bad things that are going on around us. We are asking God to hear our cries.”

Militants in Burkina Faso kill at least 75 people in one week

Last week saw the death of at least 75 people at the hands of Islamic militants in Burkina Faso’s troubled North. An attack on Saturday, January 25 claimed the lives of 39, while an attack on Monday, January 20, left 36 dead.

Information about the January 25th attack was difficult to obtain because the jihadists reportedly disabled the local phone network before the massacre near the country’s troubled border with Mali. Witnessed told Lefaso.net that four attackers arrived on motorcycles. They stocked up on food and water and left, only to return moments later to tell villagers that they had not followed instructions the terrorists had given them previously.

An unnamed witness told the media, “They had ordered the men to no longer wear trousers that cover the whole foot. They must wear short pants and let the beard grow. To the women, they had demanded the wearing of the veil. They had warned that they would return and those who did not comply would not have access to the market and would be retaliated against.”

About 100 terrorists then streamed into the town. “Once in the village, they dispersed into the neighborhoods and left part of the convoy at the market. The team that went to the neighborhoods drove all the inhabitants to the market. When they brought them there, the inhabitants were divided into two groups and put in a sitting position. Men on one side and women on the other,” recounts the witness. The attackers freed the women. “After a few questions to the men, they openly told them that they would execute them because the men did not obey their orders. They ordered them to lie face down on the ground before shooting them. Those who tried to get up to escape were also killed,” one survivor said.

The attack came less than a week after militants attacked two villages in the neighboring Sanmatenga province. Militants on Monday, January 20 killed 32 people at the market in Nagraogo village, before killing four more people in the nearby Alamou village. Afterward, hundreds of people have fled to the city of Kaya according to residents. Thousands of others who have fled the increasing violence in 2019 are already there.

The president announced two days of mourning following the latest attacks and called for the people’s “frank collaboration” with the security forces. On Tuesday, January 21st, the parliament of Burkina Faso unanimously adopted a law allowing for the recruitment of local volunteers in the fight against jihadists.

Please join us in prayer for our brother and sisters in Nigeria and Burkina Faso at this time.

Please pray

• Pray for renewed wisdom and urgency for the government in the negotiations to release Leah, the Chibok girls still in captivity, Alice Ngadah, Grace Taku and many hundreds more whose names we don’t know
• Pray for comfort and the Lord’s provision to the family of Rev Lawan Andimi and all other Christians trying to come to terms with the loss of loved ones under the insurgency
• Pray that our Father would encourage and strengthen our brothers and sisters in Nigeria, and fill them with hope
• In Burkina Faso, many Christians, have been severely traumatized by the deterioration in security and the displacement they suffered. Please pray that the Lord will be at work in their lives to bring healing and comfort.
• Please pray that the government would receive wisdom and display accountability as they seek to create order in the affected areas.