North Africa
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[edit] North Africa
North Africa’s 7 countries are full of sand, oil and little water. Most have petroleum and natural gas reserves, but not in large amounts. All are water-stressed and none are completely self-sufficient in food. Some smaller amounts of minerals can be found, but natural resources are generally scarce. All have serious resource management problems.
The region has 175 million people, and will reach 255 million by 2025. Slightly over half live in dense urban centers around limited resources (North Africa has 160 megacities), but many nomadic groups continue to drift through the desert. A third (62 million) are children: this likely to fall to 27% by 2025.
North Africa accounts for 40% of African’s total GNP. Unfortunately most of this is petrodollars, and does not translate into jobs for all. Poverty and unemployment are widely endured, leading to civil unrest. Moreover the oil will not last forever and will likely run out sooner rather than later: it will probably not last much more than two generations.
Civil unrest and local conflicts to varying degrees have impacted many. Algeria’s now-subsiding civil war included bloody massacres of civilians. Morocco annexed Western Sahara in the 1970s and shows no sign of giving up on its occupation. Sudan’s 40-year civil war has been one of the worst in Africa, and has spilled over into every country on its borders. Egypt has battled with fundamentalist extremism.
[edit] Christianity
Christianity has as long history in this region. Tradition says Mark brought the Gospel here in 60 AD. It spread from west through Tunisia and east through Ethiopia. Centers of Christian learning were found in Carthage (modern Tunisia), Hippo (Libya) and Alexandria (Egypt). More than 80 bishops attended the Council of Carthage if 256, and some Berber tribes were converted en masse. St. Augustine, Tertullian and Origen were all North African Christians. Yet, the church declined from its majority position, weakened by the Gnostic controversies, Vandal invasions and struggling with rule of the conquering Byzantine empire. When the Muslims arrived in the early 7th century, some Christians welcomed them as allies against the Byzantines. The Muslims treated the conquered Christians leniently, but eventually those who refused to convert to Islam were economically penalized. The Muslim governments imposed a tax and barred Christians from positions of power. Within a few generations, many thought it too expensive to maintain a Christian identity. Divided and quarrelling amongst themselves, the church could not persuade anyone of the truth of its message. Falling out of fashion, it withered by the wayside.
[edit] Islam
Today Islam is the dominant faith; Christians are found in very small numbers. Christianity is in decline in all countries except Tunisia; mostly, this is because believers are primarily found among the migrant workers, and their numbers rise and fall with the changes in the labour pool. There are two exceptions: Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church and Sudan’s southern tribes. Though few realize it, nearly all of the governments in the region are secular, not religious, and in fact are moderately open to Christian workers. However, overall religious liberty is severely curtailed. This is often simply to maintain governmental control. Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia have also harshly suppressed Islamic fundamentalists. However, Muslims are not permitted to convert to Christianity (apostasize); those who do face fearful economic, social and personal penalties.
Christians are typically not accorded the same rights as other citizens. New churches must be approved and house churches are generally illegal. There have been instances of Christian girls being kidnapped, forced to marry a Muslim, and then declared Muslim themselves. Often this is not reversible. Sudan’s war has religious overtones and is the worst for such abuses, which have also included genocide and enslavement. About half of the population has little or no access to the Gospel.
The next generation will face increasing oil revenues, but the probability of soon losing those same revenues. Debate over the future of each country will continue to sharpen, with those advocating Islamic government making their voice heard ever more loudly. Economic depression is possible. Bringing the Gospel into this environment will require long-term commitments, significant risk, substantial resource investments, and solutions to thorny problems that continue to vex the church.
Pray for open doors in North Africa, including Libya. Pray for more workers for the very needy and very poor country of Mauritania. Pray for the church in North Africa to be strengthened on all levels with good leadership, unity, training of leaders, a missionary vision, freedom and stable Christian families.
[edit] Table1
| Name | P ‘00 | P ‘25 | C ‘00 | % | C ‘25 | % | 75-00 | 00-25 | Issues affecting the future | |
| Algeria | 30.5 | 42.9 | 0.1 | 0% | 0.1 | 0% | + - | + - | Heavy restrictions, unrest, the future of former rebels. | |
| Egypt | 67.3 | 101.1 | 10.1 | 15% | 13.7 | 14% | + - | + - | Moderate restrictions, water, economy, fundamentalism, Islam. | |
| Libya | 5.3 | 8.0 | 0.2 | 3% | 0.2 | 3% | + - | + + | Moderate restrictions, oil, unemployment, political isolation. | |
| Morocco | 29.2 | 40.3 | 0.2 | 1% | 0.2 | 0% | + - | + - | Moderate restrictions, Western Sahara, reforms, fundamentalism. | |
| Western Sahara | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0% | 0.0 | 0% | + - | + - | Moderate restrictions, Independence from Morocco. | |
| Sudan | 32.9 | 51.0 | 5.3 | 16% | 8.2 | 16% | + + | + - | Heavy restrictions, AIDS, war, Islam, independence. | |
| Tunisia | 9.6 | 12.0 | 0.0 | 1% | 0.0 | 0% | + - | + - | Moderate restrictions, liberalization, fundamentalism. |
