January 2013

Sudan and South Sudan Prayer Chain

From the Sudan Support Network (SSNet): We feel compelled to mobilize a 40-hour prayer chain for Sudan & South Sudan for the weekend of 25 to 27 January 2013.

To be exact: Next weekend, starting on Friday evening 19:00 to Sunday 11:00.

The structure is quite easy to understand: 40 slots of 1 hour each. We want to encourage believers from different nations to take responsibility for part of that 40 hours. It does not matter so much if in the various time zones it does not match up precisely; we believe that in heaven it will add up. 

Please mail me specific commitment(s) to Sudan4Jesus@swissmail.org

Could I encourage that you sign up and ask others to do too for 1 hour or more next weekend in prayer for Sudan.

Key directions for prayer:

*Psalm 2 – the whole Psalm

*From the Scripture given below, it is a sobering thought that in the past month more than 100 Christian workers have been kicked out of Sudan. Right now, they're picking up the pieces. The process is continuing relentlessly! It reminds a LOT of when Christian workers were kicked out "en masse" from China in the 1950's. Everybody thought that's the end of Christianity in China, but now we know that GOD had to do that for the growth that would come.

Pray that God would raise up indigenous believers to take up the baton in Sudan. (He's already doing that).

Pray healing and direction for those kicked out and picking up the pieces.

For more info on Sudan, please go to www.Sudan4Jesus.com.

October 2012

Sudan/S. Sudan

Announcing: "Unite in prayer for Sudan / South Sudan from 19 to 21 October 2012". Take some time during these 3 days, wherever you are, to unite in prayer for Sudan/South Sudan. Prayer hub for this initiative in Khartoum. May it spread to believers in many different places in Sudan & South Sudan to many other nations.

From: Norman Johnson GDOPInt@groups.facebook.com

September 2012

The Frozen War – a very useful summary of recent developments in Sudan/South Sudan

August 21, 2012: The rainy season has begun in the Sudans. The result is less fighting, though small-scale actions continue in Sudan’s Blue Nile and South Kordofan states and in the Darfur region, and tribal violence continues to plague South Sudan. The various factions in both Sudans are always talking about peace, or at least talking about talking about peace, but the impact of the new oil production and transport agreement, reached on August 3, on the various armed conflicts has yet to be determined. Sudan and South Sudan remain locked in a frozen war. 

http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/sudan/articles/20120821.aspx

http://www.sudan4jesus.com/2012/08/the-frozen-war-very-useful-summary-of.html

Norman Johnson (norman@sudanpartners.org)

August 2012

Encouraging Development for the Two Sudans: Bashir and Kiir Hold Face-to-Face Meeting in Addis Ababa

14 July 2012

Independence day ceremony: Sudan's president Omar Al-Bashir and South Sudan's president Salva Kiir met in Ethiopia for the first since the two countries went to battle over the Heglig oil field in April. Presidents Omer al-Bashir and Salva Kiir met in the Ethiopian capital to discuss unresolved issues between the two countries for the first time since the clashes over Heglig in April last year.

The meeting sends encouraging and positive signals to the people of the two countries who suffer from a severe economic crisis and to the international community expressing their serious commitment to reach a deal before the deadline of 2 August. "The two presidents have agreed and instructed their negotiating teams to expedite negotiations and develop bold decisions in key areas as well as to reach agreements in all issues," South Sudan chief negotiator Pagan Amum told reporters after the private encounter. "It was a good meeting," he further told reporters who gathered outside the meeting room where they met at the Sheraton on Saturday evening…

Bashir underscored the security concern and the need to speed up the operationalization of the buffer zone saying there was no reason to contest Sudan's current border because it served to give South Sudan its independence.

Kiir on the other side focused on the issue of oil transportation saying Juba wants clear commitment to not divert South Sudan production, and asked for international guarantees. He also stressed on the need to reach a quick solution over Abyei issue.

The delegation of the two countries have already agreed earlier this month to hold talks on all the outstanding issues as Juba reassured Khartoum on the implementation of the demilitarized zone and the presence of Darfur rebels in South Sudan. The Sudanese delegation also agreed with the mediation on the resumption of talks with the SPLM-North rebels over South Kordofan and Blue Nile…


The chief negotiator also pointed out that the two parties have an opportunity to conclude a "fair deal" and to end hostilities.

"We are ready to resume oil production if there is a fair deal, and there is a guarantee that there will be no diversion (of the oil)," he further pointed out.

After a session of talks in presence of their close aides and ministers, Bashir and Kiir held a one-on-one meeting.

The two men were seen in good mood smiling and shaking hand after the private meeting as Bashir accompanied Kiir outside the room where they held their talks.

On 7 July Sudan and South Sudan announced they reached a Comprehensive Strategic Approach providing to enhance confidence, good faith and transparency to resolve the pending issues between the two countries.

They also committed themselves to resort to peaceful means to resolve their disputes and to not interfere in the internal affairs of each other.

Yesterday Pagan Amum, who is also the secretary general of the ruling party in Juba, in statements to Sudan Tribune praised the new spirit of the talks stressing that he believes the two sides will "get out with something positive".

"Peace is in the interest of our people. They need peace to prevail so that we can live side by side as friendly neighbours," he said.

The delegation of the two countries will hold non-stop meetings during the upcoming two weeks in order to finalize a deal over the outstanding matters before 2 August.

Please thank the Lord for this positive development which must be seen as answered prayer! Pray for the full cessation of hostilities between the two Sudans and for successful, continued peace talks to resolve their differences.

May 2012

Conflict Intensifies Along the Sudan/South Sudan Border

Mission News Network

(http://globaldayofprayer.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=61b0c63c85d40ff9701a40c76&id=3648c7487b&e=f9768a534f)

reports:

Bombs are exploding as war continues to escalate between Sudan and South Sudan. Sudan's president declared war against the south last week.

Peter Howard with Food for the Hungry (http://globaldayofprayer.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=61b0c63c85d40ff9701a40c76&id=10842048af&e=f9768a534f) reports that the heightened tensions have affected their programs. "The government of South Sudan told their communities - communities in which FH is working - (to have) their people dig fox holes so that when the bombings come, they can go in to those fox holes to get cover; but also the conflict gets too much, so people actually start fleeing or moving." "As conflict increases, food prices increase, and food becomes more scarce. So right now, the big concern is malnutrition.... There are concerns that malnutrition could increase by 50% in the coming weeks because of the challenge of getting food in and out of Sudan right now.”

But Howard says the Gospel is making a difference. "We feel that being there and sharing the message -- the Gospel of peace -- is critically important. Our hope is that people not only will sense it physically and feel real peace, but also know the peace of Christ." Prayer is most important, says Howard.

Read the full article.

(http://globaldayofprayer.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=61b0c63c85d40ff9701a40c76&id=61c4d2bee5&e=f9768a534f)

PRAY:

• Pray that God will end the conflict and bring many to Christ as a result.
• Pray for the innocent who are suffering
• Pray for the hungry for nourishment and shelter
• Pray for workers in the field - for their safety and personal needs 

May 2012

Sudan in Trouble 

Sudanese President Omar Hassan Bashir has practically declared war against South Sudan, the world's newest country, by stating that his main goal is now to "liberate" the southern people from their rulers, following recent border fighting.

The Heglig oil field, which is recognised by the international community as part of Sudan and was seized by the southerners this month, "will not be the end. The end will be in Juba," Bashir told a rally on Wednesday. He told the crowd that his message to South Sudan was: "Either we end up in Juba and take everything or you end up in Khartoum and take everything."

That clearly means, if Bashir acts accordingly, that it will be an open war between the Khartoum government in the north and the southern authorities based in Juba.

It is the peak of tensions between Khartoum and Juba since South Sudan became an independent state last July, after decades of a bitter civil war which killed two million people.

The Juba government says that it was forced to seize Heglig because the northerners had been using it as a base to launch attacks on South Sudan, which is ruled by the former rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement.

Forces of the north and south have been fighting in several areas since South Sudan seceded from Sudan following a referendum held last year. The feud is essentially a creation of the British colonial power, which gave little regard to the sharp disparity between the Arab Muslim-dominated north and the mostly African south when it ended its rule of the area in the 1960s. The north-south conflict had been simmering since then, but it burst out into an open civil war in the mid-1980s. An internationally brokered agreement ended the fighting in 2005 and led to the 2011 referendum and creation of South Sudan.

However, Khartoum and Juba failed to agree on several key issues. These include transit fees Juba should pay Khartoum to use its oil pipeline, demarcation of the border, division of national debt, conflicting claims to the oil-producing area of Abyei in the south and the rights of citizens who after separation found themselves in a foreign country. It is estimated that there are 500,000 southerners in Sudan and 80,000 northerners in South Sudan. The two sides accuse each other of supporting rebel groups.

There is no longer any pretence of peace and any understanding between Bashir and South Sudan President Salva Kiir. Both sides are said to be building up their forces, including voluntary fighters, for a major clash in which Khartoum hopes to retake Heglig, which the southerners call Panthou.

There is an Israeli involvement in the conflict. Israel has been supplying weapons to the southerners since the start of their uprising, as admitted by Joseph Lagu, former leader of the rebel forces. Tel Aviv maintains close relations with South Sudan. Kiir paid a visit to Israel last year to cement the relationship.

An all-out war will be disastrous to both sides. Their oil-dependent economies cannot withstand a conflict. The Juba government had earlier shut off the oil wells that financed both governments. A few more weeks of closure of the northern pipeline, will wreck the south's only oil export route beyond salvation.

The currencies of both sides have all but collapsed. The two stand to suffer from hyperinflation and massive food deficits if they spend any large amount on war. The peoples of Sudan, both north and south, suffered enough but could face a worse situation.

Nobody seems to know how to go about finding a peaceful solution to the conflict.

(The writer is a prominent columnist. The article was published in Jordan Times on April 20, 2012.) norman@sudanpartners.org

We know Someone who can bring true peace and healing of this worsening conflict. Please pray for the powers of division and darkness to be bound and overthrown so that the two next door neighbor nations can be reconciled and get along with each other.

February 2012

South Sudan Peace Initiative

From Norm Johnson:

“After the loss of thousands of lives in South Sudan, affecting the lives of more than 100,000 people recently in South Sudan, we received notice of a peace initiative represented by people from the various fighting tribes. Below is the press release of what is known as the Jonglei Peace Initiative. Please pray for an end to the hostilities and that God will use people to his glory and for the sake of his kingdom.

Jonglei Peace Initiative


For Immediate Release January 23, 2012

Found on the second half of this web page: http://dailycollegian.com/2012/01/23/photo-south-sudan-gothic/

Washington, D.C. – Twenty-five South Sudanese Diaspora community leaders from across North America, including both Canada and the USA, gathered in Washington, DC, January 21-22, 2012, and focused on helping bring peace to their native state of Jonglei in the new country of the Republic of South Sudan. We are known as the Jonglei Peace Initiative (JPI) and include men and women from the Anyuak, Nuer, Murle, and Dinka people. Officials from the Embassy of South Sudan and international resource people joined us. We have agreed to call ourselves JPI — USA.