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African cease-fires barely make the world headlines, but one that was signed in 2002 signalled the end of Angola’s 40-year civil war. The country and the continent breathed a huge sigh of relief.
But, a humanitarian catastrophe followed in the wake of the peace accord. Imagine a country recently emerged from three decades of civil war. Poverty and famine stalk a people ravaged by violence. Many have never known peace - their only “trade” is war. Spiritually things have been no easier. The first president, a determined Marxist, vowed to eradicate Christianity within 20 years. In the first ten years after independence there was intense persecution. Pastors and believers were martyred and churches destroyed. But many kept the faith and congregations have multiplied. In their desperation, hundreds of thousands have trusted in the Lord. OM in South AfricaSouth Africa Statistics| Population | | 12,263,596 | (2007 est)
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
| | 3.9% | (2003 est.) | | HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | | 240,000 | (2003 est.) | Ethnic groups:
| Ovimbundu | 37% | | | | Kimbundu | 25% | | | | Bakongo | 13% | | | | other
| 25%
| | | | | | | | Religions: | indigenous beliefs | 47% | | | | Roman Catholic | 38% | | | | Catholic | 7.1% | | | | Protestant | 15% | (1998 est.) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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