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IMPORTANT PEACE AGREEMENT The Peace Agreement was just signed January 9, 2005. Prior to this the two main parties had been operating under a 2 year cease fire. The Darfur conflict that you hear about on the news is another war in another region of Sudan and is Arab Moslem against Black Moslem. This is not covered by the treaty, however it is hoped that with the addition of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) to the Government of Sudan (GOS), they will be influenced to agree to another similar agreement. The current peace agreement between the north and south calls for a coalition government for six years with semi-autonomy for the South and then a referendum to determine if the South wants its own nation.
DEATH OF SPLA FOUNDER, DR. JOHN GARANG Sadly Dr. Garang was killed in July of 2005 in a helicopter crash after just having been inaugurated as First Vice President of Sudan through the peace agreement. Salva Kiir, a close-aid and long time general in the SPLA/M was installed in his place. Dr. John was a visionary who inspired hope in his people and is sorely missed. There were episodes of unrest in Khartoum and Juba upon announcement of his death.
REFUGEES There are approximately 600,000 Southern Sudanese in neighboring countries ready to go home plus a million internal refugees in camps that will resettle. There is no infrastructure; roads, schools, local governments, and business to handle this influx are currently nonexistent. The returning refugees offer a great opportunity for the Gospel but will face difficult conditions in this transition back home. There is little help to greet returning victims and they will be very vulnerable until they have built their homes and harvested their first crops.
CAUSES OF WAR Sudan is the largest land mass country in Africa with a diverse population. There is mistrust between the Arab northerners and the black African people of the south because of cultural and religious differences. The British colonial government failed to take into consideration tribal boundaries when they drew up national borders. Oil wealth was discovered but not shared proportionally. All Southern leaders were dismissed leaving them with no voice. Finally the dismantling of the Addis Ababa Agreement, which had given the South some regional government and the imposition of Islamic laws over the entire country, were major causes for the civil war.
PERSECUTION There has been open persecution of the Christian church. The south fought for freedom of religion. There are untold stories of Christians being burned alive in their churches, and of imprisonments, torture and harassment. In the Nuba Mountains there are accounts of Christians being crucified for not renouncing their faith in Christ. Major groups watching the Sudan report many human rights violations each year.
MASSIVE DISPLACEMENTS The GOS forces routinely used displacement as a weapon of war. Entire population areas were kept on the move so that village life could not continue. This disrupted farming and prevented families from being self-supporting. Displacement also disrupts civil functions, education, health care, the care of the elderly and entrepreneurial activity. As many as 4 million southern Sudanese are said to be displaced either internally or internationally as refugees.
FAMINE AND FLOODS There have been a series of national disasters such as floods and droughts leading to famine. Because of the war there has been no infrastructure is in place to deal with disasters, only now is this beginning to change in small ways. The displaced feel the brunt of these things more than others. There are many areas that still have not recovered from the affects of flood, famine and warfare because of the polices of the GOS and the inability of the fledging southern government.
FEAR AND INSECURITY The people of the south continue to fear for their safety. The death of their legendary leader, Dr. John Garang, the activities of the LRA and the lack of visible infrastructure development by the new government have all contributed to continued insecurity. All parties to the peace and foreign powers such as the US are doing much to assure the people the peace will continue and aid will come. We cannot forget to encourage the embattled believers of Southern Sudan who have been through so much!
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT The SPLM leaders are calling for 'peace through development'. The training of teachers and opening of schools is a prime concern. In the recent past a whole generation of young Southern Sudanese has been lost to illiteracy due to the war and the resultant closure of schools. In the area where Hope For The Future has its base, the African Children's Choir opened a Teachers' Training College. It is the first and only such school in the South in the last 20 years! The SPLM and village leaders are calling for Christian teachers and Christian schools like those the missionaries first started many years ago before the war years.
RETURN TO VILLAGE LIFE The communities of Southern Sudan are being resettled by villagers returning to their home areas. Schools are starting and churches are being built up again. These villages are very open to the Gospel and offer a wonderful opportunity to rebuild village life around the Church. Also life in displacement camps has caused several tribes to be much more open to the Gospel. For instance many Dinkas have turned to Christ while living in the camps. Previously very few Dinkas had been reached. They are now eager to go home to their region of Bor and evangelize.
OPENNESS OF SPLA/SPLM LEADERSHIP TO THE CHURCH There are many true Christian believers among the army, the SPLM leaders and the South Sudanese. Excellent contacts have already been forged to further ministry efforts with leaders in the South. The opportunity is wide open. Many areas have seen no Western ministries (only aid workers) since 1986! We must not forget them.
NATION BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES Though there has been a degree of danger because of the war, there is also a golden opportunity for the Church in the west to make friends with those building a nation. This is the time to move ahead in evangelism, church planting, and developing the country's future leaders. Someone will recognize this opportunity and come in to take advantage of it. Many have been scared off by the war but there are vast areas of the country that are safe to do the work now. Those willing to make pioneering efforts now will reap the benefits of their courage in the future. For the past 10 years we have been encouraging those who were left behind to suffer at the hands of radical Islamists who ravaged their land. Hope For The Future now has a reputation for caring for the people in their trouble and will have many open doors for ministry because of their work during the war years.
RELIEF There are few jobs available to villagers; it is a subsistence economy. Local markets are beginning to open but there has been nothing to buy in the South and at this stage the southerners are quite dependent on relief aid, especially those still in IDP camps. Education is a great need along with health care and agricultural development.
OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Because of the suffering and grief brought on by prolonged years of war, their spiritual hunger seems great and we are seeing a multiplying of churches and believers springing up in the newly re-populated villages. The local Christians are calling the meetings we have presented as "The Awakening". They are saying that they now do not feel 'forgotten' and have a renewed desire for ministry and are excited to go "with the Spirit".
OPEN CALL Help build a new nation! Everywhere we go in the Sudan we hear the call to "keep coming and bring more people with you". Many people in the West cringe when they hear about this war ravaged nation---but now that the peace has come and more areas are being reopened there is great potential. There is the potential to influence the country's top leaders, the youth, and the children of this newly emerging nation. We must remember them in their adversity, visit them, and encourage their faith! Now we have the opportunity to travel throughout the South and help rebuild and re-establish the church!
