Keep Praying for Côte d’Ivoire

 By Cindy Cook, serving in Côte d’Ivoire

Earlier this month, our international ministry team serving West Africa Alliance Theological Seminary (FATEAC) in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, returned to the country. (The team was forced to leave the country in December because of political unrest.) Here’s an adapted excerpt from a recent update sent by Cindy Cook—Matthew and Cindy Cook are one of three FATEAC international worker couples.  

Côte d’Ivoire’s population continues to experience human rights violations, food shortages, and skyrocketing prices for basic supplies. Now, banks are closing. All of this affects our FATEAC students.

Let me explain.

Even before the December elections, basic food supplies, like sugar, were available in the country only sporadically. Because of the current crisis, there is now an even greater supply shortage. Prices have also gone up—in some cases more than 100 percent, and still climbing—for food stuffs, like rice, and for cooking fuels such as charcoal. Almost all of our FATEAC students are on fixed scholarships; so when food prices go up, they use up their scholarship funds faster.

Since the elections, we’ve also heard of reported “death squads” terrorizing neighborhoods populated by followers of the opposition party. In addition, we’ve had witnesses to police harassing foreigners living in the country. For example, four FATEAC students have been hassled, detained, or beaten by the Ivorian “forces of order.”

Bank Closures

This week, we’ve seen a rash of bank closures; at least six international banks have closed their branches in the country. These are not defaults, but a refusal to open doors for business.

Among others, our bank, FATEAC’s, the bank handling the school’s scholarships, and the Ivorian C&MA church’s bank have all closed! FATEAC scholarships, professors’ salaries, and operating expenses were all paid out of bank accounts that are now inaccessible. This is a serious situation.

By the way, contrary to what some U.S. media sources are reporting, Côte d’Ivoire’s crisis is not religious. President-elect Ouattera is of the majority religion in this country, but his platform does not appear to be about forcing Ivorian residents to adhere to his faith. 

What You Can Do

Please pray for solutions to the increasing crisis situation in Côte d’Ivoire. Pray also that FATEAC professors and students will have their basic needs met and be able to carry on their work and studies at the seminary.

Donate to Alliance Great Commission Ministries. In doing so, you partner with Alliance workers, like the Cooks, to ensure that the liberating news of God’s healing grace and provision is exhibited to His Church and before people blinded to His truth.

Learn More

Read about our international team’s plans for their recent return to FATEAC.

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