Kenya
‘Prayer is the only thing that can now resolve the Kenyan crisis.’
This is the view of Tearfund’s Peter Gitau, who is based in the country.
‘As long as Kofi Annan is in Kenya, there’s expectation and hope,’ says Peter. ‘But it’s prayer that will bring peace. We need God’s intervention. This is a spiritual issue.’
Violence since the disputed elections on 27 December has so far claimed more than 1,000 lives. And, the Red Cross believes that more than 300,000 people have been displaced by the fighting.
Kofi Annan and his negotiating team have been in Kenya for a month. But earlier this week negotiations stalled. Mr Annan, the former UN Secretary-General, described the situation as ‘very dangerous’.
Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement threatened to hold national protests yesterday [Thursday] if a deal to end the crisis was not reached. But the protests were called off at the last minute.
Fears were expressed that, despite this, further bloodshed is likely.
‘The country is becoming Balkanised,’ says Peter Gitau. ‘All the indicators are there that it may go the same way as Rwanda if nothing changes. Already people have been hacked to death, and killed in churches.
‘Three churches have been burnt down and communities are recruiting militia and arming themselves.
‘The worst case scenario is very likely. So many people are arming themselves. They’ve realized that this crisis is not about the election results, it’s about land.’
In the midst of this two-month-long crisis, Tearfund’s partners have been intimately involved in the peace negotiations, meeting with both President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga, earlier this week.
They have also mobilized tens of thousands of Christians across Kenya to pray about the situation.
Prayers are needed for a positive outcome to the negotiations and that displaced people may soon be able to return to their homes.
Pray too that the situation will not escalate.