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This oversight by the British, whether it was intentional or not, assured that there was a resistance movement in the South before the new government was even inaugurated. The Arab/Islamic government centered in the northern city of Khartoum from the outset gave the southerners no choice but subjugation or resistance, many southerners choose the latter. It began on August 18, 1955, when the Equatoria Corps, a southern military unit in Torit refused to surrender to Northern troops. The first Sudanese civil war began with the purpose of establishing an independent Southern Sudan. This war lasted seventeen years, from 1955 to 1972 and claimed more than 500,000 lives.
Because of a succession of unstable governments in the north and the fact that in 1971 Joseph Lagu was able to unify most of the southern factions, the Khartoum regimes were never able to subdue the southerners. A consortium of church organizations was able to broker a peace deal in 1972 that held until 1983. This gave Southern Sudan a large degree of autonomy.
Civil war resumed in 1983 mainly because the Khartoum based Islamic governments had become increasingly radicalized and finally decided to force their religion on the people of the south. This second war proved far more devastating than the first, with 2,000,000 deaths and 4,000,000 people displaced from their homes, that's almost 80% of the southern population. The US committee for refugees reports that more civilians were killed in the second Sudan war than any war since World War II. Later Khartoum's motivation for controlling the south became blurred with the discovery of oil and mineral wealth.
Our history in Southern Sudan. The president of The African Children's Choir, asked Gary and Louise Short if they would be willing to lead a ministry effort to encourage these Sudanese community and church leaders who had suffered so much for so long. Since 1998 Hope For The Future has been bringing leadership seminars, women's seminars, children's workers training, medical and vision assistance, and school supplies. It is now our goal to train and release church planters throughout the region.Mark Warkentin first went to Sudan in in 2002 on a short term team, the next year he left his successful construction business to minister in Southern Sudan full-time. At that time, through his leadership, we began training young leaders and planting churches. His years of ministry experience immediately began to reap fruit in Southern Sudan. As a result of Mark's dedication and hard work the ministry there has greatly advanced. As of 2009 Mark is no longer a part of the HFF team.
