The Mbororo People of Chad and CAR

February 2008

Special Request:

There is a growing humanitarian crisis on the border of Cameroon and Central Africa Republic (CAR). Fulani refugees for two years have been fleeing the Central African Republic (CAR) to escape relentless attacks by rebels and bandits. The Fulani are of Muslim background. The 26,000+ refugees are mainly Mbororo. They have been leaving CAR to avoid having their women and children kidnapped for ransom and their livestock stolen by rebels in Central African Republic's remote northwest. These Mbororo fled with very limited supplies, if any. Most came across the border without their cattle, which are their livelihood.

Refugees are living in more than 50 sites spread across thousands of square kilometres on the Central African border, reports the Reuters News Agency (see photo). It estimated that 15-18 percent of infants among the refugees are malnourished and that in some areas, the rate of infant mortality is six to seven times the threshold normally used to denote an emergency situation, Reuters notes.. UNHCR had only committed to providing relief aid through January 2008. Several organizations such as Covenant World Relief, Baptist General Conference, the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE), SIL Cameroon, and the International Christian Church of Yaoundé as well as other, are doing their best to reach out to these desperate people with the love of Jesus Christ.

How You Can Help Beyond Praying

There is a need for volunteers and funding for these efforts. If you are interested please contact: ABWE missionaries, Randy and Shawn Olson, who are working with these Mbororo refugees now stuck in IDP camps in Cameroon. They have set up a fund to help with this need. They can be contacted at rolson(at)abwe.cc.

Specific prayer needs are:

Work at Garoua Boulai Hospital (on the border between Cameroon and CAR)

A worker from another mission we are in contact with has written with some prayer requests for the practical work that needs to be done in Garoua Boulai. Work on food distribution and more hygienic facilities is especially needed so pray that the Lord would provide the workers and energy for them to get all the work done.

Prayer for Rev Jean-Baptiste

Rev Jean-Baptiste who is a friend of Wendy Atkins, a worker for AIM in CAR, recently travelled to Maboussou with Ardo Oumarou, the chief of the Mbororo chief from Gbandi. A large group of Mbororo recently arrived in Maboussou with their cattle, having travelled from DRC and Sudan. Many of their cattle are sick so the chief, who is the civil leader of all the Mbororo in the Zemio area, wants to determine how contagious the diseases are and try to keep the sick cattle away from the healthy ones owned by the Mbororo already living in the Zemio area. He also wants to determine what these people have come for and how long they are thinking of staying.

Many of these new Mbororo are of the Aouda clan; a people known for their violence - very quick with very big knives! - and also for being very nomadic. They will often spend only a day in one place before moving on. Most of the CAR Mbororo who we have had contact with are afraid of the Aouda because of their violent nature. In the past, they have refused the idea of JB going to visit groups of Aouda.

Please pray for their safety and for wisdom for Jean-Baptiste. Please pray that as they connect with this new group that Jean-Baptiste will be able to make good contacts with individuals and have an opportunity to share God's word with these people. Please pray that Jean-Baptiste will have time to speak with Ardo Oumarou concerning his own faith. This Ardo (chief) has shown interest in hearing about Iisa Almasiihu (Jesus the Messiah) in the past but he has also rejected the message at other times.