SUDAN – ABDUCTIONS SPREAD FEAR AMONG CHRISTIANS

In September, 20,000 Christians walked bare foot for two miles in sacrificial prayer as a sign of protest of the government’s inability to protect the region, following a month of abductions and bloodshed. Last month, we reported on the attacks by the Lord’s Resistance Army in South Sudan, where thousands of Christians were forced to flee their villages. This month, more details of the horror of the attacks have emerged. In August, a gang from the LRA stormed a church in Yambio and desecrated the building before abducting 17 teenagers and young people. Of those who disappeared, one was found dead, tied to a tree and mutilated. Only three returned the next day; the rest remain unaccounted for. A week later, six Christians were ambushed in a forest and nailed to pieces of wood. It has been reported that those who found the bodies some days later “likened it to a grotesque crucifixion scene”. There have since been reports of a further twelve people being abducted from another village.  The recent events have spread fear among the Christians in Sudan as it seems that the authorities are powerless to deal with the problem of the LRA. One church leader reports “what happened in August was such a huge shock to us…people kept coming to me with such suffering in their eyes begging me to do something about the situation – to get back their children and grandchildren who have disappeared.” • Pray that the Lord Jesus will protect His people, and that those who have been kidnapped will return safely to their families. • Pray for those who have lost family members in the recent violence in South Sudan and other African countries, and for the families of those who are still missing. Pray that they will remain strong in their faith and trust in Him. • Ask the Lord Jesus to change the hearts of those who are carrying out the violence.