January/February 2011
Dear Friends and Family,
Furlough update
Our furlough has been going well. Our family is situated at our sending church in Cleveland, Ohio, where our children are enrolled in school. We have had terrific meetings reporting back to our supporting churches. Our schedule is full right up to our return to the field.
Ivorian crisis
After the first round of presidential elections last October, the incumbent and the UN imposed opposition candidate faced off in the final presidential election last November. The announcement of the results of that election was delayed, and finally both were declared winner each by a different government electoral agency. The incumbent, Laurent Gbagbo, declared that voter fraud had taken place at specific polling locations, and as such these votes should not be counted. The opposition candidate, Allassane Ouattara, denied the voter fraud charge and called for the incumbent to step down. A stalemate has continued to the present.
Given that the government of the incumbent is situated in the government buildings, and that the incumbent has maintained control of the military, he is the one that is actually controlling the country. However, the United States government, the United Nations, the European Union, the African Union, and the group of West African nations (ECOWAS in English; CEDEAO in French) all gave their initial support to the opposition candidate. Since that time, the African Union and the ECOWAS group have experienced some division in their position while the other international groups remain firmly on the side of the opposition candidate.
This international group has actively opposed the incumbent. They have placed economic and travel sanctions against 100 individual either in the incumbent’s family or serving in his government. They have put an embargo in place against Ivorian exports including cocoa of which Cote d’Ivoire supplies 40% of the world’s supply. They have stopped shipment of humanitarian aid items such as medicines. The port in Abidjan is no longer operating as it should. This has created a financial panic resulting in a run on the banks. As such, most of the banks and money transfer agencies have closed. The West African bank (BCEAO) controlling the CFA franc used in Cote d’Ivoire has frozen the Ivorian accounts. No money is going in or out of the country.
As well, the opposition candidate has called for “Egypt type” demonstrations. Those favorable to the oppostion candidate have taken to the streets creating blockades and forming demonstrations. Many of these demonstrations have become quite violent resulting in the looting of stores and the destruction of stores and homes. The incumbent has often sent his military to stop these demonstrations. Unfortunately, the media has reported quite thoroughly on the violence of the military without addressing the violence on the part of the demonstrators. Fears of an invasion by an international military force or by remnants of the rebel army are prevalent. There does not seem to be any real solution in sight.
As you can imagine, this is having a devastating effect on the country in general and the ministry in particular. The blocking of cash flow with the increasing prices is driving many of our people from their homes back to their villages where they can live off the land. The violence that has erupted in the Abidjan/Anyama area as well as other areas of the country has resulted in hundreds of thousands of people fleeing to other areas to avoid being injured or killed. This has resulted in the complete dispersion of at least four of our churches in those areas. The potential for dispersion of other of our churches is very real. Fortunately, at this time, our works in Bingerville and Zanapledougou remain relatively stable. However, our ability to help our ministries and our people is greatly hampered in that we can get no money into the country.
Prayer needs
Please pray fervently for Cote d’Ivoire!
1.) Pray that the members of all our churches will be protected from harm, that their health will be preserved, and that they will have alla the provisions they need during this time of crisis.
2.) Pray that no more of our churches will be dispersed, and that those that have been dispersed will be able to regroup at the end of this crisis.
3.) Pray that the international powers will no longer impede the arrival of humanitarian aid such as food and medicines.
4.) Pray that the economy will stabilize thus allowing the banks to open and the people to have access to their funds. As well, this would allow us to get money back into the country.
5.) Pray that a solution will be found for the political standoff so that the country can stabilize and return to normal.
I am in continual contact with our Ivorian Christians to stay informed of the situation. Their only request to me is that I continue to call on my supporting churches to pray for them as they go through this tumultuous time. I have absolutely assured our people that our supporting churches in the states will be praying for them continuously until the crisis is resolved. Thanks so much for your prayers.
Most sincerely in Christ,
Robert C. Mach
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