Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin – No. 266 – Wed 07 Apr 2004

————————————- IVORY COAST: SITUATION GROWS CRITICAL ————————————-

Ivory Coast (IC), a major producer of cocoa, coffee and tropical hardwoods, was once the most prosperous nation in all West Africa. A virtual open-door policy allowed people from all over West Africa to work in Ivory Coast. However, after four decades of uncontrolled immigration, half the total population now are Muslim immigrants. The rebels, who launched the September 2002 failed coup and have held the northern half of the country ever since, aim to change the constitution so that all immigrants can be naturalised. Ivory Coast, with the local population currently 38% Muslim and 31% Christian and enjoying full religious freedom, would then become a Muslim majority nation able to elect an Islamic government. Dr Outtara with his RDR Party has played the race and religion card for political gain, and in doing so has polarised IC along ethnic and religious lines.

IC president, Laurent Gbagbo, a Christian, has worked with his Prime Minister, Seydou Diarra, a northern Muslim, to implement the peace accords. The rebels however appear not to want peace. They want to control all of IC and to replace the president. The rebels walked away from the government of national unity in September 2003 and are refusing to disarm. They are now provoking confrontation with IC security forces by defying a ban on all political demonstrations. This could escalate dangerously. Rebel leader Guillaume Soro recently told a rally of 5000 rebel supporters in Bouake, central IC, that they would soon be able to pay rebel soldiers a monthly salary. He did not say where these funds would be sourced.

One of IC’s biggest problems has been the quiet radicalisation of its Muslim population, particularly youths. Funded by oil profits, the Saudi Arabian drive to spread Wahhabi Islamist ideology globally has impacted IC through Saudi-sponsored Islamic schools (educating in Arabic) and scholarships for Muslim students to the Islamic universities in Cairo and Medina. This orthodox Islamist ideology has made Sharia law imperative for many Muslims, which is a global phenomenon.

During a two-year preaching ministry in the early 1900s, the dynamic Liberian evangelist William Wade Harris led possibly 100,000 West Africans to Christ, including many thousands of Ivorians. In the 1990s, the number of evangelicals in IC almost doubled. IC has been a model and haven of religious freedom, and a safe and prosperous launching place for mission into West and North Africa. If IC falls to Islamic domination it will be not only a national tragedy, but a tragedy for all West Africa and a serious threat to all African religious fault-line nations (Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Sudan). There is much at stake.

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY:

* that through the troubles in IC, the churches will draw closer together and the believers closer to God, and for their anxiety and suffering to produce endurance, character, hope (Rom 5:3,4) and a renewed, strengthened relationship with their Saviour.

* for President Gbagbo: for prayerfulness, for spiritual wisdom and understanding (Colossians 1:9-14), for spiritual growth and deepening dependence upon God.

* for God to end the rebellion, securing justice, preserving religious freedom, safeguarding mission, and making way for salvation to spring up and righteousness to grow (Isaiah 45:8).

‘O righteous God, who searches minds and hearts, bring an end to the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure.’ Psalm 7:9

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SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE: ———————————————————— SITUATION GROWS CRITICAL IN IVORY COAST

A failed coup by Muslim rebels in September 2002 left Ivory Coast (IC) polarised along ethnic, political and religious lines. Ivory Coast’s local population is presently 38% Muslim and 31% Christian, with full religious freedom. But the rebels want all the Muslim immigrants naturalised – half the total population – so that there will be a clear Muslim majority able to elect a Muslim (rather than secular) government. Currently the Prime Minister is a northern Muslim and the President is a southern Christian, and they are working together to implement peace accords. However, the rebels don’t want peace – they want to control the whole country and to replace the president. They left a government of national unity and refuse to disarm. They are also provoking conflict with IC security forces, with the danger it will escalate. A return to war is a great fear but the greater fear is that IC will fall to Islam.

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The WEA Religious Liberty Commission sponsors this RL Prayer List to help individuals and groups pray specifically and regularly for religious liberty issues, and in particular to uphold the Church where it is suffering persecution.

RL Prayer is moderated by Ron Clough, a commissioner of the WEA RLC and convenor of the Australian EA RLC.

Elizabeth Kendal researched and authored this message.

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