The Prime Minister of Nepal has stepped down amidst mass protests and upheaval.
The protests began as marches against corruption, but were spurred on by bans on popular social media services, including Facebook and WhatsApp. Thousands of protestors, particularly young Nepali people, took to the streets. On September 9, Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli stepped down from office. But the violence didn’t stop. Police allegedly fired on unarmed protestors, and some protesters set fire to the Supreme Court building, Parliament House and other government buildings.
“Protesting people were all over the lanes, shouting slogans against the government. And at many places, things were burned on the roads and the smoke could be seen rising to the sky from different areas,” says Kumar*, an Open Doors local partner. “We could see smoke from all sides.”
The army is the only institution left standing and has been calling for calm, filling the current power vacuum. Due to the increased violence, a curfew has been imposed within the country, roads have been blocked, and the airport was shut down.
It appears that the worst violence has ceased, and people are observing the curfew. But Nepali believers aren’t sure what will happen next and are calling for prayer.
A local believer asks for prayer:
“Please pray for peace in the country, especially at the height of this conflict. May our troubled government find wisdom and integrity, guiding the nation toward peace and progress.”
Please join your brothers and sisters in Nepal in prayer! Ask God to bring peace and stability and for good leaders to rise up to restore order.
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