Sudan

Sudan has been on my heart ever since I was old enough to know that it was a country in turmoil. By "on my heart," I mean that I cared about the fate of its people. This is nonsensical. Why should I care more about Sudan than, say, Mozambique? This was before Darfur made the news and before I knew the immensity of the suffering or the length of its history. The divide between north and south has perhaps never been so pronounced as the present when the South has recently been declared an independent nation. Yet, how long will the tenuous peace last? Their version of peace means regional fighting rather than full scale war. Even now, thousands of people are displaced as fighting continues. Sudan can most certainly still use our prayers and attention.


Description from the CIA World Fact Book:
Military regimes favoring Islamic-oriented governments have dominated national politics since independence from the UK in 1956. Sudan was embroiled in two prolonged civil wars during most of the remainder of the 20th century. These conflicts were rooted in northern economic, political, and social domination of largely non-Muslim, non-Arab southern Sudanese. The first civil war ended in 1972 but broke out again in 1983. The second war and famine-related effects resulted in more than four million people displaced and, according to rebel estimates, more than two million deaths over a period of two decades. Peace talks gained momentum in 2002-04 with the signing of several accords. The final North/South Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed in January 2005, granted the southern rebels autonomy for six years followed by a referendum on independence for Southern Sudan. The referendum was held in January 2011 and indicated overwhelming support for independence. (Dafur is a separate conflict.)


For the past twenty years, Christians have been brutally murdered for their faith and culture. Here is one of many stories I have read about the faithfulness of God's people in Sudan. This is a story of pain, redemption, and transforming forgiveness. Dear friends of mine made a documentary about another mind-blowing Sudan story of forgiveness. Extreme pain can birth the greatest beauty. Don't we see this with children?


If you want to support work in the Sudan, I suggest donating to Samaritan's Purse. They have worked there faithfully for years and were one of the few organizations allowed to stay when the government threw out aid agencies a few years back. They provide emergency assistance and also have a strong pastor training/church rebuilding program. (Many churches have been destroyed and pastors murdered by a concerted attempt to wipe out Christianity.) 


What countries has God put "on your heart"?