Source: www.csw.org.uk
Date: May 15, 2021
‘Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.’ (Psalm 20:7)
Psalm 20 reminds us that God has given us tools for the fight, and yet he wants us to rely on him above all else. As we continue praying for change in Eritrea, we’re trusting in our mighty God to establish the victory; our confidence is in him.
Rebuilding the Walls: Prayer and Protest for Eritrea and Tigray
For the past 18 years, we’ve held an annual gathering to mark the closure of most churches in Eritrea and the campaign of arrests that followed, targeting Christians to this day.
At this year’s prayer and protest event on Thursday 27 May, we’ll also be lifting up Ethiopia’s Tigray region, which borders Eritrea, and where Eritrean troops have been involved in fighting alongside the Ethiopian government and its allied ethnic militia since November 2020.
Eritrean soldiers in Tigray have been the primary perpetrators of horrific crimes, including sexual violence, looting, bombings and massacres of civilians, particularly men and boys. 20,000 of an estimated 100,000 Eritreans who took refuge in Tigray from their incredibly repressive government are now missing, with at least 6,000 thought to have been forcefully returned to the country they fled in fear for their lives. Starvation is being used as a weapon of war, with many reports of Eritrean troops deliberately blocking the distribution of food aid.
So far the crisis in Tigray has already claimed an estimated 50,000 lives. It is unknown how many thousands have been displaced internally. Some 5,000 children are currently separated from their families by the violence, while over 62,000 Tigrayans have fled the country.
Join us on 27 May in praying for peace with justice.
‘Life Beyond Covid: A Renewed Hope’
Booking is now open for this year’s UK Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast on 25 June at 8am. You’re invited to join parliamentarians for prayers, hymns and a keynote address from The Rt Revd Professor NT Wright.
As part of the National Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast, CSW will be hosting an online seminar entitled ‘My Brother’s Keeper: Addressing Impending Genocide.’ Speakers include independent peer Lord David Alton and Knox Thames, the former Special Advisor for Religious Minorities in the Near East and South/Central Asia at the US Department of State. Please join us if you can!
Sign up for the free online event.
In summary, please pray:
- For thousands of people to stand in solidarity with the people of Eritrea and Tigray at our event on 27 May.
- That God will bring fruit from our prayer and campaigning, and rescue those who have been displaced, abused or forced to fight.
- That CSW’s seminar at the National Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast will inspire policy makers to formulate decisive actions to prevent genocide from unfolding once early warning signs are evident.