Pray for Burundi

Nicknamed “The Heart of Africa,” Burundi is a tiny, crowded nation filled with rolling hills, lakes, and farmlands that support around 80 percent of the people there. Since Burundi’s independence in 1962, the Tutsi minority and the Hutu majority have fought for ethnic dominance. Animosity led to war around the turn of the 21st century, resulting in more than 250,000 deaths and displacing even more. The nation is still recovering from these ethnic divisions.

Decades of civil war, political instability, and structural economic challenges have left Burundi among the world’s poorest countries. Soil fertility is declining and contributing to poverty. The majority of the population lives below the international poverty line. Chronic malnutrition is widespread, and Burundi has one of the highest rates of child stunting in the world. And although Burundi is officially a democratic republic, political freedoms are limited. Human rights organizations report restrictions on opposition parties, independent media, and civil society. These organizations have also reported many cases of state leaders being involved in sexual violence, enforced disappearances, torture, and unlawful detentions and executions. Across the country, laws against sexual violence are weakly enforced. Due to the lack of economic opportunities, Burundi suffers high levels of forced labor and sex trafficking.

Over 90 percent of the nation identifies as Christian, but many mix Christianity with other religions or fall prey to false teachings. Poverty hinders ministry training, which has left churches without well-educated pastors. However, the evangelical church has grown over the past several decades. Local churches have the unique opportunity to bring peace, unity, and Christ-like love to a divided nation.