Two days ago, a general in Burundi’s military announced a
coup d’état while President Nkurunziza attended a regional emergency security
meeting of Heads of State in Tanzania.
This followed a couple weeks of unrest stemming from
disagreement over the legality of the president’s intention to run for a third
term. The Arusha Accords which ended the
civil war, and the country’s constitution, incorporate a two-term limit. However President Nkurunziza and his
supporters insist that since his first term followed a parliamentary rather
than a general election, it should not count, leaving him one more term to
contest for office. It seems that many
citizens in the capital, Bujumbura, perceived the president’s intention to
stand for re-election as a breach of democracy and so daily protest marches
occurred. The police force, under
presidential control, dismantled roadblocks and tear-gassed protestors. The military, a more neutral force, kept the
police in check and allowed protests to continue. About 20 people died over the course of the
protests, which in a country that has known genocide and chaos seemed like a
relatively peaceful outcome. Our team in
Bujumbura found themselves frequently stuck at home, as University classes were
canceled and each day held uncertainty.
They would hear gunfire, or see smoke rising from burning tires one
hour, then drive through normal-life peaceful commerce the next. One family moved upcountry to join our rural
team, and one couple stayed put. Crazily
enough, the upcountry drive occurred just as the coup was announced which led
to a couple hours of anxiety as we weren’t sure whether the announcement was
the beginning of a war . . . the countryside is more pro-president while the
city is more pro-protestor. However they
arrived safely. Now we have 21 Sergers
and a few other expat missionary-types bunkered in a small rural town where our
primary clinical teaching occurs, and 2 adults in the capital. The borders closed, the airport closed, and
essentially the country was without a clear government while everyone inhaled
to see what would happen.
Today, the coup has been declared “failed”, as the portion
of the military loyal to the president arrested the other part of the military
loyal to the coup. Rumors are flying
about where the president really is, who controls the airport and radio, what
escape routes might be open. We are
checking mail and news, making phone calls, holding security meetings, as each
hour unfolds.
In between the announcement of the coup and the announcement
of its failure, Burundi and much of the church around the world celebrated a
holiday: Ascension Day. For forty days after Easter, Jesus walked and
talked with his disciples, teaching about the Kingdom. They were waiting, daily, for the kind of political
take-over they could understand. However
on that 40th day, he ascended into clouds, to the throne of the
Father. The Bible readings for Ascension
day remind us that GOD IS ON THE THRONE, that GOD REIGNS OVER THE NATIONS
(Psalm 47 and 93; Daniel 7).
Here we are like the bewildered disciples, staring into the
sky, wondering. Clouds obscure our
vision of glory. Presidents come and go,
protestors celebrate and die, tanks roll down the streets, children play too
close to bullets. We cannot place any
confidence in the power of human government today, but we do know who reigns in
that dimension beyond our sight.
Please pray for the country of Burundi. 99.9% of the people want only peace. Peace to
move about the country, to hoe their gardens, to study, to visit friends, to
sell wares, to beat drums (they are quite famous for this). Pray that the fear-mongering 0.1% would be defeated,
that panic would not lead to violence.
Pray for justice, pray for calm minds, pray that the Church would have a
voice that reconciles and protects. Pray
for our teams to make wise decisions.
Pray for safe travel, if travel becomes an option, for those we would
like to evacuate until the government stabilizes.
Pray we would remember that our God reigns.
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