Posted on 24^th April 2012

Greetings in the name of Jesus, Head of the Church

Sudanese Christians have requested our prayers following several situations affecting Christians in the Khartoum area last week.

On 21^st April the Anglican Church in Sawafi was attacked by a mob, provoked by a radical Imam. Security forces stopped the mob. However, some found an alternate route, enabling them to ransack and burn down the building.

Also on 21^st April, the Gereif West Bible School, based on a compound of the Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church (SPEC) in Al-Gereif, was badly damaged in an arson attack by a Muslim mob. The SPEC had received threats of violence in late March and early April. Churches on the site as well as the Bible School were damaged in the attack. Office equipment, library resources and students’ personal belongings were destroyed.

On 19^th April in Burri, a group of 130 university students of South Sudanese origin were detained and given seven days to leave Sudan after being accused of celebrating South Sudan’s invasion of the Heglig oil field within South Kordofan province. The students denied that they had held any such celebration.

On 18^th April churches in Al-Baraka, Dar el Salam, and Takamul districts received notice that the properties would be demolished because of lack of structural integrity. Church leaders complained that the Ministry of Planning and Urban Development had not informed them of required changes to the buildings. MEC has been informed that Church leaders have been informally notified that the orders have been reversed.

In early April we requested prayer concerning the 8^th April deadline for those of South Sudanese origin (many of whom are Christian) to leave Sudan following the secession of South Sudan in July 2011. The deadline has been postponed for 30 days. Recall that the Sudanese government is treating all those in Sudan who are eligible for citizenship of South Sudan (i.e. having at least one great-grandparent born in the South) as having de-facto citizenship of South Sudan and is therefore denying them the option of acquiring citizenship of Sudan. Sudan has not provided consular facilities in South Sudan to enable South Sudanese to apply for residency in Sudan. Travel from Sudan to South Sudan is difficult at this time due to the tensions in the border areas.

Sudanese Christians give thanks that nobody was injured in the recent attacks. They request our prayers that:

a.      Christians in Khartoum will know the peace, presence and protection of Jesus, and His enabling to live without fear

b.      The detained students will be released and allowed to remain in Khartoum

c.       The demolition orders will be officially withdrawn

d.      Church leaders will know the Spirit’s guidance and wisdom at this time

e.      There will be effective action to restrain extremists

f.        The perpetrators will know the Spirit’s conviction of sin and the Father’s offer of forgiveness and true life.

May be circulated to general mailing lists, outside organizations, and quoted from freely in reports citing “Middle East Concern” as the source of the information.