Sudan
"You know, this struggle in our country has been going on for 42 years. The Arabs have persecuted us and forced our children to go to Islamic schools. In some cases they have burned our churches, taken our food, and made us slaves. Many people have died. Where are our brothers and sisters in the world? Why are we being forgotten? Where is America? Where is the church?"
-- A Christian from Southern Sudan, August 1998
"There is a crime going on today. Genocide. The extermination of human beings. Our crime is to remain silent. To do nothing. "
-- Missions Hotline
Sudan has a troubled history. And unfortunately, deep problems persist today. A fanatical Muslim government is following a policy of persecution and genocide against Christians and peoples with non-Muslim beliefs. Here is a breakdown of the problems:
Nuba Mountains
The worst violations of human rights are occurring in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan. These mountains are located in the north-central part of the country. Here the Govt. of Sudan (GOS) forces are following a policy of "creeping genocide". GOS soldiers are targeting Christian villages, forcing people to flee. Homes and churches are being torched. There are reports of the soldiers throwing people into their burning homes. Christian pastors are shot to death. Soldiers are attacking the mothers of children and cutting off their breasts with knives. This barbaric practice leaves the babies with no nutrition; the mothers must watch their infants die slowly of starvation. Women and girls are raped. Some are taken into slavery. Those people who flee face imminent starvation in the mountains, or in the countryside to the south.
The Govt. of Sudan has denied wrongdoing. They have gone as far as arranging trips for Christian officials to visit the area to "prove" there are no human rights violations. Here at the Missions Hotline we have spoken to one pastor who went on such an arranged trip. He said that he saw no persecution, but the trip appeared to be stage managed.
And so it was. The Missions Hotline has also spoken to independent missionaries who dared to enter the Nuba region without permission. This is high-risk work. Their accounts tell a very different story. The human rights violations we mentioned above all come from eye witness accounts by "unofficial" visitors to the Nuba mountains. The policy of persecution and "creeping genocide" is going on unabated. Today while you are reading this ... more villages will be burned ... more people attacked ... more slaves taken ... and more Christians will die. How many deaths? It is difficult to get an actual number, since the Nuba region is so remote. In the Sudan as a whole the estimates are that 50-500 people die each day. As a result of the genocide.
The latest problem in the Nuba area is the arrival of helicopter gunships. These gunships are being used by GOS forces to attack resistance forces in the Nuba region. However, the pilots are also gunning down innocent women and children. In March 1997 a group of Christian missionaries was attacked by two Mi-24 gunships. The missionaries were at first dubious that the helicopters would open fire. After all, the missionaries were amongst a large group of people, mostly women and children. Those doubts vanished when the gunships started firing their rockets and cannon right into the crowd. Again, the Missions Hotline has confirmed this report directly with people who were eye witnesses to the crime.
Bahr Al Ghazal
Slavery continues in the Bahr Al Ghazal region of the Sudan. To those of us in the West it seems impossible to accept that true slavery could be happening. Sadly, it is. In fact, the Sudan has had a long history of slavery. Slavery has been the rule, rather than the exception, for this corner of Africa.
Today slavery continues. The victims are usually women and children. All are black. The crime is racial and cultural in its origins. Both women and children are raped repeatedly as part of this abuse. Husbands or fathers have usually been killed in fighting, or have fled to join the resistance forces. The existence of real slaves in the Sudan has been verified by eye witness acounts from church missionaries and independent journalists. We will be updating these accounts with specific information in the near future.
The Western media have been strangely silent about this crisis. The Missions Hotline is currently working with churches to develop assistance for the Sudan. This is a challenging mission. But this issue should cry out to the conscience of all Christians. If you or your church have a concern for the Sudan, please contact us info@missionshotline.com [A coalition of Christians from various denominations].
Finally, we hope to get missions work going in Ethiopia in the future. If your church has an interest, please let us know.
