Burkina Faso (MNN) — On Friday, a Burkina Faso coup replaced one military leader with another. The ousted leader, who himself led a coup nine months ago, has fled to Togo. Greg Yoder spoke to the Christian World Outreach staff. They heard shooting in the streets on Friday.

Officials announced a curfew shortly afterward, with roads blocked until 5 am. “It will especially impact our mobile clinic when they travel to the villages. They typically don’t travel at night, but there could be roadblocks even during the day. We’re still waiting to hear. As far as the Village of Opportunity, the timing couldn’t be worse for us, because the young ladies were supposed to be coming back this weekend to start classes.”

“Some of the young ladies have been able to return to the Village.”

As it travels, the mobile clinic partners with churches to provide medicine and hope to their communities. The village of Opportunity provides education for girls, who often get left behind in Burkina Faso’s patriarchal culture. Women learn vocational skills like cosmetology or agriculture.

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Prayer

The leaders of both coups have promised to make the country safe from Islamic violence. Instead, the violence has intensified. Last week, an attack on a convoy killed 11 soldiers and 50 civilians. Yoder says, “Always pray for the safety of our staff, that God will bring calm back to the country. It’s been a pretty peaceful country until the last few years here. So we’re just praying God will intervene and bring good leadership.”

Burkina Faso remains of the world’s poorest countries. Pray CWO’s ministry will display the love of Jesus to a hurting people.

The header photo shows Le lieutenant-colonel Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who seized power of Burkina Faso in a January 2022 coup but has fled to Togo. (Photo courtesy of Lamine Traoré (VOA), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)