Sudan (MNN)–As the African Union mandate draws to a close in Sudan, there’s concern over stability…even more as southern refugees return home.
Ugandan rebels are already on the border, and that’s giving some pause. Words of Hope’s Lee DeYoung explains, “There are gradually Sudanese moving back into south Sudan, but the condition inside of southern Sudan is somewhat uncertain particularly with the lack of infrastructure.”
United Nations efforts to repatriate southern Sudanese refugees from neighbouring countries are running into trouble as funds dry up. There are an estimated 350,000 southern Sudanese refugees scattered in seven neighbouring countries and about four million internally displaced people (IDPs) who are trying to go back to their villages in the south.
Forced to choose between returning to a warzone or staying in desperate conditions, DeYoung says it’s a hard choice. “Life has a little bit more certainty to it yet, in the refugee camps, for some, in terms of steady a supply of food and of relative security and stability.”
WOH opened a new studio on the border of Kenya and Sudan–from there, they broadcast the Gospel nightly in Dinka and Nuer. The safer locale places their team on the cusp of growth into Arab-speaking nations.
Their vision: “We hope to be able to continue broadcasting to them and also to offer training of various types currently offered at Lokichoggio, but we hope to open facilities inside southern Sudan over the course of years to come.”
