Keep Your Eyes on the South

Back in 1993, Iran pledged 17 million dollars to the Islamic-backed government of the Republic of Sudan as they purchased military aircraft to use against the largely Christian south. Iran also helped the oil-greedy regime of Omar al-Bashir secure $300 million worth of Chinese weapons, weapons also used against the South. The results were devastating - an estimated 2 million people died in the civil war, with hundreds of thousands displaced from their homes.

But in July of 2011, the future brightened for Christians in the south when Sudan split into two countries. The South declared its independence, establishing itself as the Republic of South Sudan.  Muslim officials in the North (the old Republic of Sudan) reassured their constituents that secession would ultimately help the North become a pure Islamic state, fully submitted to Sharia law. There was talk of peace. However, in reality, North Sudan was, and still is, in deep and desperate economic trouble – they want control of the resources in the South, and are engaging in strategic warfare to weaken and demoralize the new nation.

South Sudan needs our prayers. It is a vast country – most of it unmapped and unpaved (roughly 62 miles of paved roads in the entire country) – and few of its 8-14 million inhabitants have gone unaffected by the war with the North. The newly formed government is struggling to govern, because so much the country is only accessible via helicopter or by hours of trekking on foot. Pockets of outlaws, warring tribal chiefs, and excruciatingly poor communities are scattered throughout the country. Infrastructure, education, medical care, and food production are all pressing issues, and on top of all of that, the North is eager to smother its neighbor for its oil, and to eradicate Christianity in the name of Allah.

Within its own borders, the North ruthlessly persecutes the Sudanese Christian community located in Southern Kordofan.  In the name of ‘security, the Islamic government in Khartoum has banned foreign organizations from distributing aid in war-ravaged zones, despite increasingly desperate shortages of food and water. Only Sudanese aid workers are allowed to distribute supplies…and in an Islam-dominated culture like North Sudan’s, it is unlikely that anyone who is not a professing Muslim will qualify for government-controlled help. In desperation, many are fleeing to Ethiopia or seeking refuge across the border in South Sudan.

If there has ever been a time for Christians to whole-heartedly take up the cause of the Persecuted Church in the Islamic context, it is right now, starting with intentional, active support for believers who are fleeing from North to South Sudan. Their need is desperate, and our gifts and prayers really can make a life-altering impact on people’s lives! Smyrna is proud to be partnering with Persecution Project Foundation (PPF), an organization founded by Brad Phillips to bring Gospel-centered relief and development to the Christians and refugees of Sudan. Our normal policy has been to partner with national ministries, but in the case of Sudan, we have chosen to support the efforts of PPF as they minister in desperate situations. Please visit persecutionproject.org to learn more about the current situation in Sudan.  

For more prayer requests from our brothers and sisters in Africa, check out our Persecution of Christians in Africa page.