We want to call on you to pray for Africa in 2020. The reception to the gospel of Jesus Christ by people in Sub-Sahara African is very encouraging. Most people are eager and anxious to hear the gospel and several reports we receive from our listeners are full of excitement and appreciation. Here are a few countries of concern.
Somalia is a country in West Africa with a 99% Muslim population where the official religion is Islam, and Sharia’s law is the source of the constitution. The Muslim opposes other religious group and vehemently discriminate against them. Al-Shabab—a dangerous Islamic group—is used to abolish Christianity completely and Muslims who choose to become Christians in Somalia are killed if discovered. In 2019 we had people listening to our programs from Somalia. Other countries facing stiff difficult situations are Algeria, Mali, Mauritania, Ethiopia, Morocco, Tunisia and Kenya.
Libya is in the North of Africa. Only 5% of the population are Christians; the rest are Muslims. Christians in Libya can be kidnapped if caught, tortured and killed, and Christians who convert from Islam are not safe. Sudan is in the North-Eastern of Africa with a 5% Christian population. Islam is the state religion known for persecuting, torturing, and victimizing Christians. The Sudanese government puts Christian leaders in prison, bullies and discriminates against Christian children in schools. The president of Sudan Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir who served from 1989 to 2019 was deposed and currently replaced by Transitional Military Council and a civilian prime minister Abdalla Hamdok. Nothing has changed for Christians.
Nigeria, with about 200 million people, 50% Christians and 50% Muslims are ruled by a president and all the members of his cabinets including all the service chiefs who are predominantly Muslims. In December 2019, the Chief Justice of Nigeria—a Muslim—suggested that the Nigerian constitution should be changed to include mandatory teaching of Islamic law (Sharia) in all the universities in the country. He proposed that Islamic law shall be taught not in English but Arabic. In the Northern-Nigeria, church buildings are burned down regularly, the Fulanis (the president is a Fulani) and Boko Haram organize raids regularly on towns where the majority of Christians live, kidnapping and slaughtering the inhabitants and burn down their houses.
Please pray for all our listeners from Somalia, Libya, Sudan, and Nigeria. Happy 2020 from all of us and to all who contribute towards the production of our programs—Africanpathways Radio and Africanpathways.org
