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Sudan

• Update: Christian school reopens amidst growing persecution

  Pray for the protection of student and staff in Sudanese schools.

  Amid threats of further losses, classes recently resumed at a Bible school and church compound in Khartoum, Sudan, that Muslim extremists set ablaze in April.

  On April 21, Sudanese Muslims set Gerif West Bible School on fire -- a fire that not only obliterated school walls, but also destroyed cartons of Bibles and school textbooks (for more information, please click here). While students and administrators have yet to fully recover their losses from the attack, classes resumed on October 15.

  However, Muslims are continuing to target the believers by attempting to take school land and by broadcasting anti-Christian messages from a nearby mosque loudspeaker. Muslim leaders have been asserting through the mosque loudspeaker that Christian institutions should not be permitted in Sudan, as the country should be a "purely Islamic state" since the secession of South Sudan on July 9, 2011.

  Thank the Lord for the reopening of Gerif West Bible School! Pray that the Lord will protect the students and staff. Pray that the Holy Spirit will be at work in the hearts and minds of those opposed to Christianity in Sudan. Pray that Sudanese believers will exemplify the love of God through consistent love and prayer for those who persecute them (Matthew 5:43-48).

  For more information about Sudan's persecuted Church, please visit the Sudan Country Report.

• President plans Islamic constitution

  President of Sudan, Omar Hassan al-Bashir

  Sudan's president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, has proclaimed the country's next constitution will be "100% Islamic" to set an example for neighbouring countries. The President's formal statement on July 7 comes amid significant shifts in North African countries where Islamist parties are gaining influence and positions of power.

  He said, "We want to present a constitution that serves as a template to those around us. And our template is clear, a 100% Islamic constitution, without communism or secularism or Western [influences]."

  Shariah, or Islamic law, is already in force in Sudan, which is 98% Muslim, but the president seems intent on formalizing its authority and enforcing it more strictly, making the position of the Christian minority increasingly vulnerable following the secession of the largely Christian South Sudan last year (for more, click here).

  Please pray that al-Bashir's plans will be thwarted and that Christians in Sudan will be able to worship Jesus Christ in freedom. Pray that Christians in Sudan and South Sudan will be faithful to God, despite opposition. Pray that the Lord will make Sudanese Christians strong to lovingly and boldly proclaim the gospel (Ephesians 6:18-20).

  For more information on the trials Christians face in Sudan, go to the Sudan Country Report.

• Church buildings destroyed, schools confiscated

  Local officials sent bulldozers to demolish this church building in Khartoum. Photo: Compass Direct News

  Authorities in Khartoum, Sudan, demolished two church buildings on June 18, just days after confiscating three Christian schools.

  One of the churches destroyed was informed in April that it, along with several other church buildings, would be demolished due to lack of structural integrity (for more, click here). However, church leaders were later informally notified that the orders would not be carried out. The destruction of the church building has raised concern that other churches will also be destroyed.

  Church leaders said persecution was intensifying following the secession of South Sudan in July 2011, with officials targeting churches they claim to be associated with now unwelcome, largely Christian, South Sudanese people living in the Islamic-ruled country. Authorities have stated that there is a reduced need for Christian-operated schools because many people of South Sudanese origin (many of them Christians) have left Sudan. However, Christian leaders believe that these schools continue to meet a clear need.

  Please pray that the government will allow all church property to continue being used for its intended purposes. Pray that church leaders will know the Spirit's guidance and wisdom at this time. Pray that those opposing the Church in Sudan will know Christ's love, forgiveness and blessing through the lives of Christians (Romans 12:14, 21).

  For more information on the trials Christians face in Sudan, go to the Sudan Country Report.

• Officials close Christian offices in South Darfur

  These refugees fled their homes due to violence. Pray for these brethren. Photo: Assist News

  Authorities in South Darfur shut down offices of the Sudan Council of Churches (SCC) and Sudan Aid, ordering staff off the property and arresting three employees of Sudan Aid.

  Agents from the Sudanese National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) arrived without notice or explanation at the organizations' offices in Nyala early in the morning on April 22, demanding SCC staff hand over keys to the buildings and vehicles and ordering them to leave. NISS agents also closed down a church clinic that was serving the needy in the area.

  The day after the closure of the offices in South Darfur, staff members arrived back at work to find more than a dozen security personnel, some carrying arms, cordoning off the compound. The security agents told the employees the offices were closed and to go home. Two days after the closure, Sudan's federal Humanitarian Aid Commission froze the bank accounts of the SCC in Nyala.

  Christianity is being treated as a foreign faith in Sudan following the secession of the largely Christian South Sudan last year. About 350,000 ethnic South Sudanese, many of them Christians with no ties to South Sudan, remain in the north under intense pressure to leave.

  Pray that believers affected by these closures will not be fearful but trust God (Revelation 2:10). Please pray that southerners living in the north will be protected from harm. Pray that those travelling to the south will make it there safely and will be warmly received and cared for by Christian brothers and sisters.

  For more information on the trials Christians face in Sudan, go to the Sudan Country Report.

• Christians under fire in Khartoum

  There have been several attacks on Christians in Sudan's Khartoum region in recent weeks.

  The wall of this Christian compound was recently destroyed by Muslim extremists. Photo: Compass Direct News

  On April 21, a church building in Sawafi was attacked by a mob provoked by a radical Muslim leader. Security forces stopped the mob. However, some found an alternate route, enabling them to ransack and burn down the building. The same day, a Bible School located on a church compound in Al-Gereif was badly damaged in an arson attack by a Muslim mob. The church had received threats of violence in late March and early April. Office equipment, library resources, and students' personal belongings were destroyed.

  On April 19, 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. The day before, churches in Al-Baraka, Dar el Salam, and Takamul districts received notice that their 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. Church leaders have reportedly been informally notified that the orders have been reversed.

  Meanwhile, the April 8 deadline for those of South Sudanese origin (many of whom are Christian) to leave Sudan following the secession of South Sudan in July 2011 has been postponed for 30 days (for more information on the deadline, click here).

  Pray that Christians in Khartoum will know the peace, presence and protection of Jesus. Pray that the detained students will be released. Pray that all demolition orders will be officially withdrawn. Please ask God that church leaders will know the Spirit's guidance and wisdom at this time.

  For more information on the trials Christians face in Sudan, go to the Sudan Country Report.

• Deadline looms for South Sudanese Christians to evacuate Sudan

  These refugees fled their homes due to violence. Hundreds of thousands of others may also have to leave Sudan by April 8. Photo: Assist News

  South Sudanese Christians have just a couple of weeks to leave the north or risk mistreatment by the Islamic-majority Sudanese government. Former citizens, known by the Sudanese government as "southerners," were stripped of nationality after South Sudan's January 2011 vote to secede (for more on the secession, click here). They now have until April 8 to leave or establish alien residency, though no residency terms have yet been established. The ultimatum will impact between 500,000 and 700,000 people who are mainly Christians of southern origin that still live in the north.

  Sudan amended its laws after the South's independence to say that Sudanese people automatically lose citizenship when they acquire by right or by other means the citizenship of South Sudan. Sudanese people in the north with any parents, grandparents or great grandparents born in South Sudan or belong to any southern ethnic group are considered South Sudan nationals. Some church leaders fear increased persecution of Christians in the north or even forced repatriation for those who may want to stay.

  Please pray that Christians in Sudan will be guided by the Lord during this difficult time. Pray that the government will cease in its strategy to persecute Christians remaining in the north. Pray that, in all things, Christians in Sudan and South Sudan will remain steadfast in their faith (1 Peter 5:8-10).

  For more information on persecution in Sudan, visit the Sudan Country Report.

• Christians abducted by militia groups

  Pray for God’s protection on believers in Sudan and South Sudan.

  Christians in Sudan are under threat by South Sudanese militias rebelling against the new South Sudan government. South Sudan seceded from Sudan in July 2011 (for more on the secession, click here). Christians in the primarily Islamic Sudan said that abductions are increasing as the government supports militias as part of an effort to rid the country of Christianity. The militias have been forcibly conscribing South Sudanese into rebel militias loyal to Sudan's Islamic government. Christian sources say hundreds of young men have been forcibly conscripted, while older men are either killed or ransomed.

  Two priests who were abducted at gunpoint last month in Rabak, Sudan, have been released. The assailants, South Sudanese militants loyal to Sudan, accused the Rev. Joseph Makwey and the Rev. Sylvester Mogga of ties to South Sudan's military. The kidnappers demanded 500,000 Sudanese pounds for their release (approximately $186,000 CAD), but press reports said no ransom was paid. The kidnappers tortured the two priests, who are now receiving medical treatment.

  Please pray that Joseph and Sylvester will fully recover from their injuries and that the Lord will flood their hearts with forgiveness and peace. Please pray that God will command His angels to guard our brothers and sisters who have been abducted or fear abduction (Psalm 91:11).

  For more information on persecution in Sudan, visit the Sudan Country Report.

• Bible college bombed

  This church building, built by Samaritan's Purse, was bombed in January. © 2008 Samaritan's Purse. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

  A Bible school supported by Samaritan's Purse was destroyed on February 1 in the latest bombing raid to hit South Kordofan, a Sudanese province that borders the newly created independent country of South Sudan (for more on South Sudan, click here). Eight bombs were dropped in the area of Heiban Bible College during the school's first day of classes. According to eyewitness accounts, the bombing required a sustained effort with at least four flyover passes.

  Fortunately, no injuries were reported. "We have been working for years in Sudan," Samaritan's Purse President Franklin Graham said after the attack. "Today our Bible school in Heiban in the Nuba Mountains was bombed by the Sudanese Air Force. No one was killed or hurt, but buildings were destroyed. Please pray for the safety of believers, and that God would intervene." Since early August, at least four churches built by Samaritan's Purse have been destroyed by bombing or burning.

  Thank the Lord no one was injured or killed. Pray the Lord will strengthen the faith of the students and other believers after this attack and ask Him to provide for them. Pray the Holy Spirit will bring new life and faith to the people around the Nuba Mountains. Pray for those behind these attacks.

  For more information on persecution in Sudan, visit the Sudan Country Report.

• Church leaders may face arrest

  Christianity in Sudan is now regarded as a foreign religion and sharing Christ could land one in prison. Photo: Steve Evans/Flickr

  Sharing Christ could land pastors in prison as Sudan's Ministry of Guidance and Religious Endowments has threatened to arrest church leaders if they carry out evangelistic activities and fail to provide their names and contact information.

  The threats were sent by letter to church leaders of the Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church (SPEC) shortly after the New Year. It arrived just a few days after Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity in Darfur, told cheering crowds that following the secession of the largely non-Islamic South Sudan last July, the country's constitution will be more deeply entrenched in Shariah, or Islamic, law (for more on the secession, click here).

  Christian leaders said Christianity is now regarded as a foreign religion following the departure of 350,000 people -- most of them Christians -- to South Sudan following the secession. Sudan's Interim National Constitution (INC) holds up Shariah as a source of legislation and laws, and the policies of the government favour Islam. War in Sudan's South Kordofan state has also led leaders there and in North Kordofan to incite hatred against Christians with officials in both states calling for holy war against the predominantly Christian Nuba people.

  Pray that the gospel will advance throughout Sudan despite all efforts to thwart it. Please pray that President Omar al-Bashir will be brought to justice for his crimes and that he will repent and bend his knee to Christ. Pray the Nuba people will be protected by God.

  To learn more about how Sudanese believers suffer for Christ's sake, visit the Sudan Country Report.

• Update: Brutalized teenage believer prays for forgiveness for her tormentors

  Hiba Abdelfadil Anglo Photo: Compass Direct News

  A young Sudanese Christian teenager who was kidnapped, sexually assaulted and physically attacked over the course of one year is praying that her former captors, a gang of Muslims who tried to force her to convert to Islam, find mercy.

  After escaping last July, she says she is praying that Jesus reveals himself to her assailants, and "forgives them for what they did to me." Hiba Abdelfadil Anglo says she escaped from them with the help of God who did not want her to suffer any more (for more information, click here). "I want to thank God who saved me from the hands of the abductors," said Hiba just two months after she escaped. "I also thank God for all believers all over the world for their prayers for me and my family. It was because of your prayers that my situation changed."

  Hiba, who missed one year of school due to the abduction, is in school again, but her widowed mother lost her job after taking time to search for her daughter, so the financial burdens are a strain.

  Please pray that Hiba's physical and emotional wounds will be healed and that she will succeed in her studies and grow in her faith. Please pray that her captors' knees will bend before Jesus, and that they will turn to the one true God in repentance. Pray that God will strengthen and embolden the Church in Sudan.

  To learn more about how Sudanese believers suffer for Christ's sake, visit the Sudan Country Report.