The word ‘Sudan’ is derived from the Arabic expression in the ancient Egyptian, which referred to the land to their South as ‘Bild Al-Sudan’, meaning the land of the black people. Sudan is also the place where African and Arab cultures mingle and is a home to a physically, religiously, and culturally diverse people for centuries. Therefore, Sudan is a nation full of potential and promise. Southern Sudan was a rich source of gold, slaves, and ivory for the Arab merchants of the north. As a result of the Arab exploitation at that time, the country was tragically torn by the civil war between Arab-dominated northern and the diverse black African tribal population of the south. Sudan, the largest country in Africa, is engaged in the longest war in African history, which is one of the worst ongoing humanitarian disasters on the continent. In Sudan, the civil war has taken the lives of two million civilians, and uprooted four or five million people. Innocent civilians in Southern Sudan have experienced famine, slave raids, bombing and other gross human rights violations on a massive scale.
The Southern Sudan Christian Mission Church’s duty is to remind the world’s Christians that Sudan, one of the oldest Christian nations in the world, has been severely under persecution by the Muslim north since August 19, 1955. During 46 years, the Sudan Muslim government continues fighting and committing genocide.
If you’ve heard anything about the tragedies of Sudan, you’ve probably heard about the ‘Lost Boys’ of Sudan. Their plight has been reported on news programs such as 60 minutes II. The following quotes describe their situation, from the perspective of one of the Sudanese people.
Many lost boys died from starvation, thirst, wild animals like lions which preyed on them. Some drowned in swollen rivers of the South, others eaten by crocodiles as are forced to cross the river, hunger and diseases and many other things.
Lack of parents and home make the lost boys woundering for where to live and who to care for them. Most of the children lived as orphans…some of them were shot dead by the Muslim government who used to attack the village, and kill adult and taking girls and boys as slaves.
All the Southern women mourned for their lost boys day and night. They also pray for orphans who had survived, they asked God for help and forgiveness of the people…