Seventh-day Adventists in Ivory Coast are praying for a peaceful resolution to a political uprising that has left more that 270 people dead and many more wounded. The conflict began September 19 when rebel groups stormed military sites, government buildings, and homes of key politicians.

One of the world church’s 12 regional, or Division, headquarters is located in Abidjan. Pastor Luka Daniel, president of the church in the Africa-Indian Ocean region, says the situation in the capital remains “calm but tense.” According to Daniel, there is fear that violence could flare at any time. A curfew remains in effect throughout the city.

“Last Sabbath many of us could not go to the churches we usually to go to, so we advised members to go to the nearest one, and that’s what happened,” he told ANN during an interview September 23.

Adventists in the region are praying for a return to peace, said Daniel. “This we have been doing privately and collectively. We certainly are praying and we have made this known. The president’s house is very close to our division headquarters, and this morning we sent a pastor and one of our directors to go talk with [leaders], and have the opportunity to pray with them in front of the president’s house.”

Daniel has also asked for the prayers of Christians around the world as the political standoff continues.

Although the national government has now restored order in the capital, Abidjan, rebels in Ivory Coast still hold two major cities—Bouake and Korhogo. In Bouake, rebels held more than 200 faculty and students at International Christian Academy on the outskirts of the city. The five-day siege ended September 25 when French troops secured the school.