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January 14, 2013

Baptists Request Prayer as Rebels Control Majority of Central African Republic

Pastors appeal to global community as government resists Islamists.

Melissa Steffan

The situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) is "precarious," according to national Baptist leaders.

Singa-Gbazia Nicolas Aime Simplice, president of the Association of Baptist Churches of the CAR, requested "urgent prayer" from global Baptists last week as rebels continued to challenge CAR president Francois Bozizé's leadership. The rebels now control "over 75 percent of the nation."

According to the Baptist World Alliance, Simplice says many citizens have been displaced by the fighting and Baptist churches have been badly damaged or destroyed.

Other church leaders have also called for negotiations between Islamist rebels and government forces, denouncing the violence against civilians.

Meanwhile, in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), rebels attacked Université Anglicane du Congo, a member of the DRC's Colleges and Universities of the Anglican Communion (CUAC).

CT recently visited the CAR to report on the "messy business" of clean water.

posted by Melissa Steffan | Comments (1)

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Prayers always. But airstrike and artillery support are just as useful.

Posted By: rb | January 14, 2013 5:45 PM

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