Ivory Coast – or, in the national lan-guage, French, Côte d’Ivoire – is a nation divided. Once a model for Africa in terms of economic develop-ment and stability, it has in recent years slipped again into the type of internal strife which faces many of its neighbors.

In 2002, strife between the government and rebels in the north split the nation in two, with the southern region remain-ing under the control of the elected government, whilst the north is ruled by the “New Forces” rebel group.

Fighting has since ceased between the two zones, and there are moves to disarm non-government soldiers and demilitarize the northern region; how-

ever, many civil services such as schools, municipal councils, postal services and traffic departments have been out of action since the armed rebellion.

Poignant stories emerged in 2008, when postal workers were finally al-lowed to sort and deliver five years worth of correspondence to their intended recipients in the north of the country. One beneficiary of belated post was devastated to discover an out-of-date letter telling him he had passed the entrance exam to study at the Sorbonne University in France. Oth-ers received epistles from families and friends in the south, or love letters from beaux they thought had forgotten them.

Whilst much in the country is slowly im-proving, for many in the nation, just like those receiving their post for the first time, it is like living in a region cut off from the rest of the world.

Pray for increased stability in the na-tion, reconciliation between the two regions and a return to normalcy for those in the northern regions. Under a power-sharing agreement facilitated by international mediators, elections for a new government were scheduled (and continually resched-uled) last year. To date, there has still not been a free election. Pray for integrity on the part of government leaders, and for peaceful elections when they eventuate. Praise God for rapid growth amongst evangelical churches. Believers have more than doubled since 1990. Pray for adequate discipleship for all those who come to know Christ. Pray for the safety ofmissionaries in the country. As robberies, carjackings

and kidnappings increase, missionar-ies make tempting targets. Pray also for more missionaries to be involved in pioneering work amongst unreached and unoccupied groups. Pray for the estimated 14 – 16 % of people in Ivory Coast infected by HIV, and the 500 000 children who have been orphaned by the disease.

Ivory Coast produces 46% of the world’s cocoa, the the main ingredi-ent in yummy chocolate; but most of the labourers picking this cocoa are children (up to 80%) working up to 100 hours a week. Many of

these children are younger than 14 and some are even kidnapped from

neighbouring countries.