December, 2008

Sudan: hope lingers but war threatens

- a call to pray for Sudan

In 1983 Sudan's President Numayri violated the 1972 Addis Ababa peace accord and decreed that Sharia (Islamic) Law would be implemented across the whole of Sudan. This led to the resumption of civil war between the Islamist Arab-dominated Government of Sudan (GoS) in the north and the African non-Muslim, predominantly Christian south. For more than 20 years the southern 'rebels' resisted Islamisation and Arabisation despite GoS aerial bombardments and scorched earth raids by jihadist paramilitaries, as well as GoS-caused famine and a massive slavery industry. The war ended with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in January 2005.

Southern leader Dr John Garang had a vision for a New Sudan: one in which all of Sudan -- not just the South -- would be liberated and all Sudanese, irrespective of race or religion, would be free and equal. In pursuit of this vision he sought to unite all Sudan's various opposition groups to remove the racist and repressive minority Arab-Islamist regime from power through democratic elections. The only way to get most Southerners to the table was to offer them a referendum on separation and independence. Whilst the CPA provided for a referendum in 2011, Dr Garang's hope was that over the next six years the situation could be turned around through elections slated for 2009, and that the equity and liberty the Southerners longed for would become a reality not only for them but for all Sudan's marginalised and persecuted peoples.

Only months after the CPA was signed, John Garang died in a mysterious plane crash. In the years since, the Arab-Islamist ruling National Congr! ess Party (NCP) in Khartoum has stalled on implementing th e CPA, leading the Southerners to threaten separation and the Islamist regime to threaten jihad. (The North will never let the South separate from Sudan, as all Sudan's oil is in the south.) However, over recent months Southern leaders have re-embraced Dr Garang's New Sudan vision. The NCP is a minority government which can be toppled in elections if there is unity amongst the opposition and now the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM)is working towards making this unity a reality. The NCP knows it cannot win against a united opposition and will doubtless seek to divide peoples and scuttle the elections, possibly through escalating conflict.

Oil-rich South Kordofan (Nuba Mountains) is a 'transitional' region that lies between north and south Sudan and was an ally of the South during the 21 years of civil war. The region has long been terrorised by jihadist paramilitaries from the north. In violation of the CPA, the GoS has recently been deploying thousands of troop! s to South Kordofan, allegedly to counter Darfurian rebels who Khartoum claims are planning to stake a claim there for leverage in peace talks. Any such defensive action should be taken by Joint Integrated Units as stated in the CPA -- not Northern forces. Tensions are extremely high and rising. If war erupts in South Kordofan it could be very difficult to contain and would doubtless scuttle the 2009 elections.

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT:

• the long-suffering church in Sudan will keep growing in grace, knowledge and faith, never losing hope or missionary vision.
  
  
• the Christian leadership within the (southern) Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) will be drawn to prayer and God will give them supernatural wisdom, grace, discernment and strength.
  
  
• God will go before these leaders and use them and the SPLM to bring liberty, equity and justice to all of Sudan; may God receive all the glory.
  
  
• God will intervene against all sin and evil force! s trying to block the liberation of Sudan, uprooting belli gerence, intolerance, corruption and pride so that peace, justice and liberty may take root, grow and blossom for the benefit of all Sudanese and the glory of God.

'Now unto him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think . . .' (Ephesians 3:20a ESV)

 

Elizabeth Kendall