On Friday, Sept. 27, the Sudanese government banned aid agencies from flying across a wide swathe of territory in the non-Muslim southern part of the country, prompting speculation of an impending military offensive against southern rebels. The Islamic government in Khartoum has ordered humanitarian agencies such as the Red Cross not to fly across Eastern and Western Equatoria provinces, reported Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA). The ban, in effect for at least nine days, halts the massive U.N.-led aid operation that was sending dozens of flights daily into southern Sudan from a base in northwestern Kenya. The day before the ban took effect, humanitarian agencies "rushed to evacuate as many of their international staff as possible from southern Sudan to Kenya," DPA reported. The war between the Sudanese government and the southern-based rebel Sudan People's Liberation Army has intensified in recent weeks. The government broke off peace talks early this month after the rebels captured the strategic town of Torita. (Assist News Service)

FRENCH TROOPS SEARCH FOR MORE FOREIGNERS TRAPPED IN CÔTE D'IVOIRE

French troops are fanning out across Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) to locate rebel positions and search for Americans and other Westerners still trapped in the country since a deadly uprising began with a bloody coup attempt Sept. 19. French jeeps with mounted guns, some with French flags, set out after sunrise this morning, looking for U.S. Peace Corps workers and other isolated Westerners missed in four days of road and air evacuations. The French mission was headed for pro-government regions around Daloa and Bouafle, French Lt. Col. Ange-Antoine Leccia said. French and U.S. rescue missions have scrambled to extract foreigners as Ivory Coast's government repeatedly threatened an all-out attack to retake two cities--Bouake and Korhogo--which were captured by rebels after the coup attempt. The uprising has left more than 270 people dead.

In the northern city of Korhogo, helicopters swooped in before dawn Sunday to airlift foreign and some Ivory Coast nationals trapped by sporadic gunfire for 10 days and nights. The daylong evacuation brought some 400 people--including 55 Americans--out of Korhogo and surrounding areas. Among those evacuated were HCJB World Radio missionaries Larry and Linda Burk and 28 others who had been holed up at the Conservative Baptist compound about five miles outside of Korhogo. The Burks made it safely to the coastal city of Abidjan where they serve at the ministry's Sub-Saharan Africa office. "All 30 of us were packed and waiting near the gate of the compound by 7:30 a.m.," the Burks wrote in an e-mail report. "We had to leave our truck parked behind a building, taking out the battery and a few other essentials to disable it, and packed much of our stuff into a storage room. We saw helicopters and army planes in the sky heading toward the airport or circling around town. Finally a helicopter landed on the road outside the compound. Soldiers jumped out and took defensive positions, and about 20 boarded the helicopter. We waited while they went and came back for us." The Burks were flown to the Korhogo airport and then airlifted via American military transport plane to the capital city of Yamoussoukro. From there the Burks were escorted to Abidjan by land vehicle.

The Burks were in Korhogo to install an antenna for a partner FM station that will be operated by the Conservative Baptists and local churches. Fréquence Vie (Frequency Life), a partner FM station in Abidjan operated by partner SIM and local churches since 1999, continues to air messages of encouragement to people in the area. Lee Sonius, regional director for Sub-Saharan Africa, and his family have delayed their return to Abidjan from the U.S. until the situation calms down. (Associated Press/HCJB World Radio)

INDONESIAN CLERICS CONCERNED ABOUT POSSIBLE ATTACK ON IRAQ

Indonesia's clerics are warning that Muslims will unite in their condemnation of a U.S.-based attack on Iraq. This prompted concerns that there would be adverse effects on foreign-based missions in the country. However, Dave Hansen of Back to the Bible doesn't think his ministry would be affected since "we are working with 100-percent national staff versus Americans living in Indonesia." Meanwhile, Indonesian believers are asking for prayer. "Pray for boldness," Hansen says. "Pray that they'll be protected and that they will have boldness to teach the Word." (Mission Network News)

CENTRAL ASIAN CHURCHES KEEP GROWING DESPITE OPPOSITION

In spite of the recent reports of persecution against believers in Central Asia, the church is strong and growing, says Mark Reimschisel of Bible Mission International (BMA). He says the harshness of oppression has only served to strengthen the Christians. "When we talk about persecution, the believers there live with it every day. They live with the young Islamic extremists who . . . are really trying to push Islam, and these believers have been equipped to share their faith in real ways in very practical ways." The ministry will be holding a seminar for children's pastors and leaders in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Oct. 16-18. "We are very excited to have the youth leaders of central Asia coming together," Reimschisel said, "not to just get together and have fellowship but to also have some training for the leaders and the leaders of the youth groups that they have been working with." (Mission Network News/BMA)

AZERBAIJAN RESTRICTS IMPORTATION OF RELIGIOUS BOOKS

The Baptist church in the Azerbaijan capital city of Baku is hoping its third application to import 3,000 copies of the Book of Proverbs will be successful, but the State Committee in charge of compulsory censorship of all religious literature has only given permission to release 500 copies. The committee gave no explanation for the limit. Pastor Ilya Zenchenko, head of the Baptist Union in Azerbaijan, said the Baptists could only speculate as to why the committee has restricted the quantity. "Maybe they don't want it to be in Azerbaijan," he said. "It's a very beautiful book with nice illustrations. Solomon is very popular in Islam and is respected as a prophet. Maybe they're afraid we'll give out the book to people." On Sept. 25 the church submitted a third application to import all 3,000 copies of the publication. (Keston News Service)

* HCJB World Radio, in partnership with Hosanna and local partners in Baku, Azerbaijan, has recorded the dramatized Azeri New Testament as part of the Faith Comes by Hearing project. The recordings, completed in 1998, have been made into a series of radio programs.

NUMBER OF MUSLIMS RISES STEADILY IN GERMANY

The number of Muslims in Germany is rising steadily due to immigration and a higher birth rate. There are now 3.45 million Muslims in the country, an increase of 21,000 or 6.5 percent from a year ago. Most of the increase is due to the influx of Turkish immigrants. Figures published by the Central Islam Institute in Soest show that nearly 74 percent of Muslims "take their religion seriously" with 8.3 percent attending Friday prayer meetings at a mosque. This is nearly twice the rate of church attendance for the country's 26.6 million Protestants with 4.2 percent regularly attending services. There are 77 mosques in Germany, seven more than last year, with another 123 mosques being built or planned. (IDEA)

*Nejnovější zprávy v originální anglické verzi jsou vždy ZDE (klikněte).

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