On April 15, 2023, two Sudanese generals who had previously been accused of war crimes began fighting for control of Sudan. Islamists within the two armies, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), often target Christians while fighting one another.
The Nuba Mountains, a contested area in the South Kordofan region of south-central Sudan, has a majority Christian population. In the 1990s, the Christians there began facing attacks from the same generals now fighting each other for control of the country. Many who lived in the Nuba Mountains during the government attacks moved to Khartoum seeking work and education. But when the fighting began in 2023, they were forced to return to the Nuba Mountains. An estimated 1 million mostly Christian Sudanese are thought to have fled to the Nuba Mountains to escape the warring factions in the capital.
Christians around the world are providing help to those who have fled to the Nuba Mountains, supplying daily necessities and encouragement. “There is a Richard Wurmbrand quote: ‘When they beat my feet, my mouth cried out,’” a front-line worker said. “[The situation in Sudan is] similar to that. We are the [global] church. When they are in pain, we are in pain. I think it’s important to remember that.”
Nyandenga is a Sudanese woman who has received aid from the global body of Christ. Since becoming separated from her husband, she has been living in a camp for internally displaced people (IDP) in the Nuba Mountains. “[The attackers] were raping girls and taking boys to go and train them [as fighters],” she said. “That is why I decided, ‘No, this situation will not allow me to stay here,’ and then I left.” Nyandenga is helping care for 12 children, including her own.
Pastors and other ministry workers in the area have requested Bibles for those living in the camps. Often, the Bibles are needed to replace those that Christians lost while fleeing the violence. When a woman named Halima received a bag of basic supplies and an audio Bible from a caring local Christian, Halima said it would help drive her fears away. “[The Bible] will help me to leave these bad thoughts and put the Word of God in my heart,” she said.
Our persecuted Christian family members in Sudan continue to trust in God, even when their circumstances seem bleak. One displaced Christian, who has been separated from his wife and children and is unable to find work, said, “I am in complete confidence that one day God will find a way out for me. But I don’t know when and how. I believe that God will do this and has not forsaken us.”
You can pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ suffering in Sudan with this prayer:
Dear gracious, heavenly Father, we pray for the people of Sudan. We ask that you comfort those who have lost loved ones. We ask that you provide for all who have lost homes, possessions and jobs and have fled for their lives. God of hope, we ask you to fill them with your joy and peace, that they may abound in hope during these difficult days. In Jesus’ name, amen.