Religious Liberty Prayer List – No. 188 – Wed 02 Oct 2002

***** PLAN TO PARTICIPATE IN IDOP – 10/17 NOVEMBER 2002 ***** * The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church * * For resources and links to national websites – * * http://www.idop.org * ———————————— SUDAN: “HOW LONG, SOVEREIGN LORD…” ————————————

On 20 July the Government of Sudan (GoS) and the Southern People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) signed an agreement called the Machakos Protocol, which was hailed as a monumental step towards achieving peace. However, on 2 September, the GoS walked away from the peace talks.

The GoS has launched a major military offensive on Southern Sudan in what appears to be an all-out drive to end the war. On 9 September, President Omar el-Bashir declared, “We manufacture weapons and arm ourselves, not for war but for imposing peace.” Young Arab boys, conscripted from schools and universities in Khartoum, are being armed and sent to fight the jihad. SPLA Commander Wilson Deng Kuoirot says, “They’re recruited by force to come and fight against us for a cause they don’t understand.” Many are the victims of this Islamist regime – these boys need Jesus, not the trauma of jihad.

After meeting resistance from the SPLA, the GoS blocked all humanitarian aid flights in to and out of war-ravaged Southern Sudan on Friday 27 September. Food and medicines cannot get in, and emergency evacuations cannot get out. It ends the 20 Operation Lifeline Sudan flights carrying some 150 tonnes of food into Sudan from Kenya every day. The Southern Sudanese will be dying by the tens of thousands if that situation does not change very soon.

Some analysts say the war can’t be won by either side. However, the GoS has all the weapons it needs, with aircraft and heavy artillery purchased with oil revenues. But their most potent weapon of all is the capability and willingness to engineer famine. (In February 1998 up to 100,000 Southern Sudanese died in a matter of weeks in a GoS-engineered famine).

We cry out “How long, Sovereign Lord..?” (Rev 6:10). We acknowledge, and we grieve over, the moral failure of the world that such appalling inhumanity is treated with impunity. Clearly the GoS lacks the powerful deterrent of conscience. The people of Southern Sudan are therefore depending on the conscience of the world and our prayers.

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR:

* wisdom from the Spirit for all pastors, elders and Christian leaders in Southern Sudan to lead, counsel, comfort and encourage the people amidst unimaginable fear and suffering.

* the faith of all Southern Sudanese believers to remain firmly anchored in Christ, finding refuge in him despite their circumstances. Hebrews 6:18

* ignorance to be dispelled, the conscience of the world to be awakened, and for the amorality of the GoS to be soundly denounced.

* humanitarian aid flights to be quickly restored and for the GoS to return to the peace talks.

Lord, you have seen the violence done to the helpless and heard the groans of the poor. Now rise up and rescue them, as they have longed for you to do. (Prayer adapted from Psalm 12:5)

SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE: ———————————————————— INHUMANITY RIFE IN SUDAN

The Government of Sudan has walked away from peace talks and is launching a major military offensive on Southern Sudan. On 27 September, the GoS blocked all humanitarian aid flights in to and out of the war-ravaged South. Food and medicines cannot get in and emergency evacuations cannot get out. It ends the 20 Operation Lifeline Sudan flights that carry some 150 tonnes of vital food into Sudan from Kenya every day. This is engineered famine and a crime against humanity. If the situation does not change very soon, tens of thousands of Southern Sudanese will die. They desperately need our prayers for a speedy resumption of aid flights, for spiritual strength and for peace.

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Elizabeth Kendal researched and authored this message.