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June 18, 2008

News from Burkina Faso

* Instability
* Refugees
* Football
* Polio
* And Finally

Instability
Please pray for Burkina where excessive food and fuel price rises have combined with political and student discontent to create a potentially unstable situation.

Price rises have been reported as between 28% and 67% in some cases, which make basics unaffordable for many, especially in towns where people spend more on food and fuel. When I speak to Seydou and the pastors, they speak of the cost of living as a major concern. The government has taken action to control price rises and distribute improved seeds and fertiliser for the coming season, but people are struggling to cope, and many don't understand the impact of worldwide conditions upon prices, which leaves them blaming the government.

Stability and peace have been the trademark of Burkina Faso over the last 20 years, while neighbouring countries have experience turmoil. Please pray for solutions to the current difficulties, for wisdom for leaders, and for continued peace.

Tuareg Refugees
Tuareg refugees, fleeing insecurity in northern Mali, have been pouring into Burkina recently, reminiscent of the situation when I first moved into Gorom-Gorom in 1992. Steve reports on 600 refugees near Djibo, where he is responding with a distribution of aid to 30 families this Friday.

Football
The national Burkina Faso football team have had an excellent start to their campaign in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, winning all their first three matches. After defeating Tunisia 2-1, and Burundi 2-0, the Stallions beat Seychelles 3-2 on Saturday to leave them top of their table.

Polio Vaccinations
About 800,000 children have been vaccinated in Burkina in just one week in a massive campaign following cases of wild polio in neighbouring Niger.

Burkina in Warwickshire
And finally... you can get to see a bit of Burkina Faso at the Royal Show from 3-6 July at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire. Christian Aid will re-create a small piece of Burkina Faso, West Africa, in the Flowers, Gardening & Horticulture area, "showcasing how farmers in sub-Saharan Africa are adapting to the devastating effects of an increasingly unpredictable climate."

Posted by Keith at June 18, 2008 07:54 AM