Sudan (MNN) — Following the recent peace agreement in Sudan between the government and rebel groups, the country has taken steps to separate religion from the state, ending 30 years of Islamic rule.
But it’s not all good news. Severe flooding has hit the country, and thousands have lost their homes. At least 110 people have died as the Nile River rises to levels not seen in over a century. Ken, a believer focused in Sudan, says, “There are people walking everywhere because their homes have been swept away. The roads are all cut off. There’s no way to get food in and around Sudan just because of the road and the flooding situation.”
Tribal warfare
And the peace treaty hasn’t ended all violence in the country. Old tribal wars rage on, and religious violence continues in many places.
According to Ken, “The history of Sudan is a history of tribes. And in old tribal history, tribes fight tribes. That has not changed. Even in Christian communities, tribal conflict is still very much alive today. Remember that in this culture, they are not the individuals that [we are in] the West. Your main identity is what tribe you’re from. You will fight and you will die for your tribe.”
Openness to the Gospel
With the country in so much turmoil, many are open to hearing the Gospel. As the people see violence and oppression, they long for hope. Many Sudanese are very open to receiving help from Christians. Ken says parts of Sudan need help becoming agriculturally self-sustaining, while other places need medical assistance or even English teaching.
If you’d like to join efforts to tangibly help the Christian community in Sudan, click here.
Ken encourages believers to join him in prayer for Sudan. “My prayer is that God would mobilize every-day laypeople so you really can believe and demonstrate that every member of God’s Church is a minister for the Gospel.”
The header image shows the Nile river, which regularly floods its banks and creates a stripe of fertile land. This year though, flooding levels were the highest seen in over a century. (Image by WikiImages from Pixabay)
