Story number 1 for 22 Apr 2003

(Ivory Coast)–Our newscast begins today amidst the smoke of fiercely renewed fighting in Cote d’Ivoire. Rebel soldiers hold pockets of land, even with a new government in place, and peace accords are signed. With the fragile stability of the country wavering, HCJB World Radio’s Jim Ferrier explains ministry suffers, too. A radio station, built with a partner ministry in northern Cote d’Ivoire, is at risk. “When the rebels took over that area, we had people in jeopardy at the time, who lost equipment, and so on. We did get them out of there safely, but at this point, we have not been able to return. We have no idea whether anything that we had underway is still there, or not.” Ferrier says contingency plans hinge on a wait-and-see approach. He asks prayer for their staff. “At this point, we still have an office in the country, but the whole region is so unstable now, that it’s difficult for any mission organization to maintain an office in west Africa.”