Sudanese Christians remain at risk

South Sudan gained independence
on July 9, 2011.

(Sources: Middle East Concern, VOM)

On July 9, Sudan and South Sudan officially became separate nations - a separation in accordance with a referendum held in January (click here for more information). The secession comes after a long history of violence and conflict, including two civil wars between the largely Islamic north and the Christian and animist majority in the south. Christians, in particular, have endured severe opposition.

Although many people, from Sudanese Christians to international leaders, have expressed hope over the South's independence, it is clear that the people on both sides of the new border continue to be at risk of violence and religious freedom violations.

In the months leading up to the secession, clashes erupted in several areas. Government agents and Islamic militants looted churches and killed Christians in regions of South Kordofan state. There remain concerns that churches in the Sudan may face further restrictions on their freedom of worship if the government implements a strict form of Shariah, or Islamic, law. With Christians continuing to flee to South Sudan, it is also feared that remaining believers in the north could be especially vulnerable to violence, pressure, and baseless accusations of defaming Islam.

Please pray!

• Pray that Sudanese Christians will be examples of justice, peace and love as their nation navigates through this chapter of transition. 
• Pray that the government of Sudan will listen to the concerns of the international community and recognize the importance of religious freedom. 
• Pray that Christians in both Sudan and South Sudan will continue to entrust themselves to Christ knowing Jesus is the ruler over the kings of the earth (2 Timothy 1:7-12, Revelation 1:5).

Pray for Sudan and Sudanese believers!

Tomorrow, the Republic of South Sudan will become a country.

While the South's leaders have high hopes for the new state of South Sudan, the new country will face many challenges, as it will be ranked at the bottom of the Human Development index, has limited physical and economic infrastructure and has several already-formed armed groups within its borders.

Sudanese Christians need our continued prayers for a number of reasons, reports Middle East Concern.

First, the citizenship and residential status of those of Southern origin living in the North, many of whom are Christian, remains unclear. There is a fear that some will lose their right to stay, causing Northern Christians, especially those from Muslim backgrounds, to be in a more vulnerable position.

There are also fears that Churches in the North may face further restrictions on their freedom of worship if the government in the North implements a strict form of Shariah on all residents.

Second, there have been violent clashes in several Northern provinces near the North-South border. These clashes are politically motivated, with loyalty and control of resources among the motivations. The attacked communities include Christians, some of whom have been displaced.

Third, amid violence in South Kordofan, the North's forces targeted community leaders and important institutions, which are mainly churches and mosques. Incidents have raised fears among Christians that others would be targeted, and that the authorities and/or the United Nations would not act to protect them.

Lastly, there have also been clashes within Southern provinces near the border. These are primarily about the degree of local autonomy and share of national resources.

Please pray that:

• The rights of all Christians, particularly those in Northern Sudan, will be respected.
• There will be an end to violence throughout Sudan.
• Those bereaved will know Jesus' comfort; those wounded or traumatized will know Jesus' healing touch and those displaced Jesus' presence.
• Church leaders will be guided by the Spirit as they exercise their ministries at this time.
• The South will receive appropriate assistance to support those displaced from Abyei, South Kordofan and other areas of conflict.
• The governments of North and South will rule justly for the benefit of all citizens, with equitable allocation of national resources to all provinces.

Pray for Sudanese Christians as their country divides

Sudanese Christians face uncertainty as their country divides.

Sudan is officially slated to become two separate countries on July 9. The Christians in the country request prayer as the independence of the two regions could have profound effects on Christians, reports Middle East Concern.

The northern state has publicly voiced intentions to more strictly enforce Shariah law. This means the religious freedoms of Christians and other non-Muslims could be severely limited.

The status of Southerners living in the North is also uncertain. If Christians begin making an exodus out of the North, those who remain could be left more vulnerable.

For now, the Sudan Council of Churches has decided to remain a single institution covering both countries. The churches request prayer as they transition to functioning within two legal systems, one of which could potentially be stringent Shariah.

Additionally, the North-South border remains disputed and violent clashes have occurred along the entire planned border, notably in Abyei, South Kordofan and Darfur.

You can read the entire article here.

You can help by praying!

• Pray God will keep Christians in disputed areas safe from crossfire.
• Pray God will give wisdom to church leaders as they prepare to bridge the transition their countries are facing.
• Pray that the potential movement of Christians will result in the spread of the gospel.

Some fear Sudan land dispute could trigger war

Many fear a civil war could reignite between north and south Sudan following the north's recent invasion of a disputed territory, reported Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) on Friday.

Southern Sudan is set to become an independent state on July 9, but both the north and south want the city of Abyei within their boundaries.

Leaders in the Christian south believe the Muslim north is planning a “full scale war” in the region. Northern government troops are currently occupying Abyei, blockading border crossing points into the city.

County Commissioner Dominic Deng said at least 80,000 people have fled Abyei since the invasion last weekend.

U.N. Officials now worry there is not enough food and supplies for Sudanese families leaving for nearby areas.

Continue to pray for our Sudanese brothers and sisters living in Abyei and the surrounding area. Pray for their protection and well-being.

Christian woman in Darfur, Sudan arrested for evangelizing

Northern Christians are becoming more vulnerable to official and societal pressure as South Sudan prepares to split from the predominantly Muslim north on July 9. Please continue to pray for our Sudanese brothers and sisters!

Compass Direct News is reporting that Sudanese National Security Intelligence and Security Service agents arrested a Christian woman in a Darfur camp for displaced people, accusing her of converting Muslims to Christianity.

At the same time, in Khartoum, a Christian mother of a 2-month-old baby is wounded and destitute because she and her husband left Islam for Christianity.

In Darfur Region in northwestern Sudan, Hawa Abdalla Muhammad Saleh was arrested on May 9 in the Abu Shouk camp for Internally Displaced Persons in Al-Fashir, capital of North Darfur state, sources said.

Abdalla has yet to be officially charged, but authorities have accused her of possessing and distributing Bibles to others in the camp, including children. Sources said she could also be tried for apostasy, which carries the death sentence in Sudan.

Abdalla has been transferred to an unknown location in Khartoum, sources said, adding that they fear she could be tortured as she was detained and tortured for six days in 2009. Intelligence agents, they said, have been monitoring her movements for some time.

In Khartoum, a Christian couple with a newborn said they have come under attack for converting from Islam to Christianity.

Omar Hassan and Amouna Ahamdi, both 27, said they fled Nyala, 120 kilometers southwest of El-Fashir, for Khartoum in June 2010. Knife-wielding, masked assailants attacked the couple on May 4 after relatives learned that they had converted from Islam to Christianity.

The wife was injured while trying to protect her husband during the attack.

You can read the full story here.

Conflict threatens peace in South Sudan

Pray for Christians
in Sudan today!

Conflict has increased within South Sudan since the January 9 referendum.

In February, the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) clashed with forces of the southern opposition figure Gen. Akhor, leaving 200 dead. Some 50 were killed when the SPLA clashed also with the forces of Gabriel Tanginya who is backed by Northern Islamic Khartoum.

In the North-South border region of Abyei, 100 Misseriya Arab militiamen and other Khartoum-backed forces massacred police and civilians. On March 2, the same forces—1000-strong—attacked another Abyei village, causing 33 casualties.

This violence has triggered a massive displacement of 45,000 Southern Sudanese—mostly women and children—fleeing south. Both the North and the South are preparing for conflict.

Please pray for the long-suffering, war-ravaged, predominantly Christian masses of South Sudan.

Pray specifically that:

• God will have mercy on the impoverished, long-suffering, war-ravaged masses of South Sudan, especially those who faithfully love, worship, walk with and trust in the Lord.
• the Holy Spirit will encourage and embolden Christian leaders, pastors and evangelists to preach and demonstrate radical faith despite the circumstances. May this radical faith witness effectively to multitudes.
• God will grasp Sudan's leaders by their right hands and, for the sake of the Church, call them by name to do God's bidding, that all the peoples might know that God is the LORD (Isaiah 45:1-7).

This Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin was written for the Australian Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (AEA RLC) by Elizabeth Kendal, an international religious liberty analyst and advocate, and a member of the AEA RLC team.

You can read previous prayer bulletins here.

South Sudan referendum: 99% vote for independence

South Sudan looks to split from the North.

BBC News said yesterday that 99 percent of South Sudanese voted to secede from the north, according to the first complete results of the region’s independence referendum, reported the Assyrian International News Agency.

The referendum commission said that 99.57 percent of those polled voted for independence.

Final results from the January 9-15 vote are expected next month. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has said he will accept the results.

If the result is confirmed, the new country will formally declare its independence on July 9.

You can read the full BBC News report here.

Continue to pray for believers in Sudan. Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala of Tombura-Yambio, in the southern region of Sudan, says his people have strong "expectations of change for the better" and urged continued prayers worldwide for "permanent peace in Sudan." Many Christians have reportedly left the North and capital city of Khartoum for the South out of fear that President Bashir's regime will shift toward "radical Islamization" in the wake of the referendum.

Thank the Lord for a peaceful voting process. Pray for the shalom of God to reign throughout Sudan. Pray Sudanese Christians will continue to courageously proclaim Christ's way of compassion and love, even to those who seek to oppress them.

Pray for Sudan amid historic referendum

Pray for peace in Sudan.

Sudan is a country with a long history of violence and conflict, including two civil wars between the largely Islamic North and the Christian and animist majority in the South. Christians, in particular, have endured severe opposition, and they continue to face many challenges to their witness.

In the North, believers are subject to many restrictions. Evangelism is fiercely opposed and thus very limited, and all non-Muslims face intense pressure to convert to Islam. There have also been reports of violent attacks on Christians in other regions in recent years.

In 2005, the government in Khartoum and the Southern Sudan People's Liberation Movement signed a peace agreement. This agreement, which ended the country's second civil war, established semi-autonomy in the South and called for a referendum on independence. The referendum will take place this Sunday.

While many are hopeful that the January 9 referendum will allow the South to separate from the North peacefully, there remains concern over the effect this transition will have on the country. Recent comments made by President Omar al-Bashir, regarding the reinforcement of Islamic law, have raised particular fear for Christians and all non-Muslims in the nation in the aftermath of the vote.

"If south Sudan secedes, we will change the constitution," President al-Bashir has said. "Shariah and Islam will be the main source for the constitution -- Islam the official religion and Arabic the official language."

Pray for a free and democratic vote in this referendum. Pray that international governments will encourage Sudanese leadership to hear and accept the voice of their people. Pray that Christians throughout Sudan will continue to entrust themselves to Christ and preach the gospel boldly, knowing Jesus is the ruler over the kings of the earth (2 Timothy 1:7-12, Revelation 1:5). Pray that many more people will come to know Christ as Lord in Sudan. Pray for true and lasting peace in the country.

Shariah law to be tightened if Sudan splits, says president

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashi says the north of Sudan will reinforce its Islamic laws if the south secedes because of next month’s referendum, reported BBC News on Monday.

"If South Sudan secedes, we will change the constitution," Mr Bashir told a gathering of his supporters in the eastern town of Gederef on Sunday. "Shariah and Islam will be the main source for the constitution, Islam the official religion and Arabic the official language.”

Correspondents say the president’s comments are likely to alarm thousands of non-Muslim southerners living in the north as they are currently protected from some of the stronger aspects of Shariah.

Senior northern officials are just starting to acknowledge publicly that South Sudan—where most people follow traditional beliefs and Christianity—are almost certain to choose to separate in the referendum.

You can read the full report here.

Sudan's referendum vote approaches; pray

Pray for Sudan as its
referendum vote approaches.

In 21 days, voters in southern Sudan will decide whether to secede from the North. Now more than ever, our fellow Sudanese brothers and sisters need our prayers.

Take a look at a report posted today by Mission Network News.

Anticipation and tension mount as Sudan's referendum approaches

Sudan (MNN) ― Anticipation is building as election officials in Sudan are ramping up for a key vote that could determine the peace of a nation.

In just 21 days, as part of a 2005 peace deal, voters in southern Sudan will decide whether to secede from the North. "Polling places are being established inside Sudan; absentee ballots are being distributed. There's a crescendo of activity pointing toward January 9."

Lee DeYoung with Words of Hope says everyone is aware of the weight of this decision. Already, believers in neighboring countries are organizing in solidarity. "There are large prayer meeting gatherings where the focus of the prayer meeting is to intercede on behalf of the people of South Sudan. Many prayers are arising especially in neighboring countries, including Kenya and Uganda."

The tensions could erupt if either side refuses to accept the outcome of the vote. Prayer is the best preparation for peace. "If the outcome is for separating, [pray] that the government of the north will accept the will of the South Sudanese people, and that the arrangements that ensue will take place in a peaceful atmosphere."

If violence blows up, it could be more than one deadly month. "The January 9 referendum, if it is in favor of separation, would be implemented six months later, in July."

At stake is a loss of power and the South's oil resources. Observers say there are already reports of coercion and threats because, as DeYoung says, "From all signs, it does seem as if most of the people, by a large margin of South Sudan, intend to vote in favor of becoming their own country."

Church leaders are calling upon Christians everywhere to pray for a peaceful referendum. The radio broadcasts are tailoring their content toward this message, too. "Words of Hope programs continue to point toward the referendum. The Words of Hope programs in Dinka, Nuer and Bari are focusing increasingly on themes of peace and reconciliation drawn from Scripture."

The Gospel message is echoed in the evangelistic work of the local church bodies. "These, we hope, will be complementing the work of many churches so that the tendency and the history for tribal conflict might give way."

A historic moment is three weeks away, sure to be one of the biggest news events of 2011. Keep praying for peace. Ask God to give believers wisdom as they navigate the days ahead in a time of change.