Rwanda
Republic of Rwanda
Africa
See Prayer Information
Geography
Area: 26,338 sq kmA fertile, mountainous country similar to its southern neighbour, Burundi.
Population: 10,277,212 Annual Growth: 2.71%
Capital: Kigali
Urbanites: 18.9%
HDI Rank: 167 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
Peoples
Peoples: 13 (23% unreached) All peoplesUnreached Peoples Prayer Card
Official language: French, English, Kinyarwanda. The entire population speaks Kinyarwanda Languages: 5 All languages
Religion
Largest Religion: Christian| Religion | Pop % | Ann Gr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians | 9,159,051 | 89.12 | 2.7 |
| Evangelicals | 2,761,140 | 26.9 | 3.0 |
Answer to Prayer
Rwanda has made great progress in many areas since the tragic events of 1994-95.a) The nation's infrastructure was brutalized during the conflicts. Political stability since 2000 allows for rebuilding and developing roads, buildings, government services, water and sanitation, education and communications systems.
b) Financial recovery is encouraging, with Rwanda one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa. The mainstays of national income - tea and coffee - have seen their high quality and significant output restored. Eco-tourism is a burgeoning industry. The stated goal of the nation to cease its dependence on foreign aid is a sign of confidence in further growth, but many hurdles remain.
c) The presence of women in leadership. Over half the elected parliament are female, surely a sign of progress, especially since men were the primary perpetrators in the genocides and women mostly victims.
d) Give praise for the commitment to reconcile and peace-build, to move on from the terrible past and toward a brighter future. The very fact that efforts are being made in a land with centuries of endemic ethnic tension, is cause for praise. Also encouraging is the fact that churches are at the forefront of the movement.
For an additional Answer to Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
a) Proper healing for those affected. Deep, deep wounds remain, which cannot be fixed by superficial measures. Pray for the continuation of long-term programmes for counseling, rehabilitation and reconciliation. The Church has played and must continue to play a key role in the healing process; there is a great need for more ministries that focus on this.
b) Rwanda’s post-ethnic identity. Banning ethnic identification (Hutu, Tutsi and others) is regarded by many as a positive move. People are said to be Rwandans and only Rwandans. This may help dissolve ethnic divisions, but it may also allow current inequity in the balance of power to continue unopposed. Pray that all such inequity based on ethnicity might end.
c) The process of justice. Only 27 have been convicted in the International Criminal Tribunal. The normal judicial system could not cope with the burden, so the government initiated gacaca, community-based courts, to try lesser offenders. When done properly,gacaca allowed justice to be done and to be seen to be done. But a number of cases were poorly handled; pray that the Lord might bring justice and heal the wounds of those who did not receive fair treatment.
d) The release of prisoners, since the prisons can neither hold such large numbers nor afford the cost. The eventual reintegration of the 125,000-plus people originally imprisoned – many guilty of terrible crimes – will be a true test of Rwanda’s progress. Over half are no longer incarcerated. Some have not been tried. Some tried were found not guilty, some granted amnesty, others found guilty and served their sentence. Most releases trigger at least some outrage by past victims. Pray for true forgiveness as well as true repentance.
For an additional 7 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
Challenge for Prayer
Recovery from the 1994 genocide that claimed up to one million lives is difficult, but it displays the people’s remarkable resilience and willingness to forgive and move forward despite great pain and loss. Pray for:a) Proper healing for those affected. Deep, deep wounds remain, which cannot be fixed by superficial measures. Pray for the continuation of long-term programmes for counseling, rehabilitation and reconciliation. The Church has played and must continue to play a key role in the healing process; there is a great need for more ministries that focus on this.
b) Rwanda’s post-ethnic identity. Banning ethnic identification (Hutu, Tutsi and others) is regarded by many as a positive move. People are said to be Rwandans and only Rwandans. This may help dissolve ethnic divisions, but it may also allow current inequity in the balance of power to continue unopposed. Pray that all such inequity based on ethnicity might end.
c) The process of justice. Only 27 have been convicted in the International Criminal Tribunal. The normal judicial system could not cope with the burden, so the government initiated gacaca, community-based courts, to try lesser offenders. When done properly,gacaca allowed justice to be done and to be seen to be done. But a number of cases were poorly handled; pray that the Lord might bring justice and heal the wounds of those who did not receive fair treatment.
d) The release of prisoners, since the prisons can neither hold such large numbers nor afford the cost. The eventual reintegration of the 125,000-plus people originally imprisoned – many guilty of terrible crimes – will be a true test of Rwanda’s progress. Over half are no longer incarcerated. Some have not been tried. Some tried were found not guilty, some granted amnesty, others found guilty and served their sentence. Most releases trigger at least some outrage by past victims. Pray for true forgiveness as well as true repentance.
For an additional 7 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
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