Dear friends and family,
I'm in Nairobi - will reach the states on Monday for visiting family in FL, CA, NC, and NJ before returning to the new country of South Sudan on July 18. Independence day for them is July 9 - hate that I'll miss that. As I left on Wednesday, fighting was continuing in the Nuba mountains and around Abyei, Kadugli, and Kauda. These places are about 3 hours drive northeast of where Cush4Christ is located in Wanyjok near Aweil (Google Earth now can take you to our radio station if you follow the road north out of Aweil for about 20 miles to a junction).The north is using heavy artillery and aerial bombing in what they say is their right to eradicate the SPLA (southern forces) from that region. Most of the people in these areas are Dinka and consider themselves part of the south and loyal to the SPLA. During the civil war they fought fiercely on the side of the SPLA. Now they
are being told by the north that the new border between the north and south (not officially determined in some areas) puts them in the north and they must surrender their weapons or move to the south. Many are refusing and choosing rather to fight in what seems to be a kind of guerrilla warfare. Sadly, the north has a history (in the south and even currently in Darfur) of responding to this kind of situation by exterminating the people in the troubled areas, and it seems they're beginning to resume this brutal pattern here. Some are of the opinion that the north is frustrated about the prospect of losing such a high percentage of the oil production to the south when the south secedes on July 9...and if the north can precipitate a return to war (and somehow blame it on the south), they can hope to change the border lines so that more or even all the oil fields will end up in the north. As we know, war can do things like this. What makes all this even more tragic is that this is the beginning of the rainy season,
which means 2 things for the poor people living in these areas: 1) It's hard to escape because weather and roads make travel very difficult, and 2) The people's food supplies are at their lowest at this time of year (they should be cultivating their sorghum but instead are fleeing into caves etc.) and this has been complicated by the north blocking goods and fuel at the border for over two months now.
The leaders talk about ceasing hostilities but it's not happening, and the UN and the western powers appear to be impotent in finding a way to force a stand down.
I'm probably giving you more than you want to know - if so, just skim. But if you want to know more, you can check the same web sites I check daily which are: http://www.sudantribune.com/ and http://www.southsudannewsagency.com/index.php
Feel free to relay this to anyone concerned. My time will be short in the states on this visit but hope to see some of you at least briefly. My desire is that you will NOT worry about me and that you will NOT have some exalted notion about what I'm doing in Sudan. Rather, exalt the steadfast love of our God and stand in awe of His merciful providences. The King is on the move in Southern Sudan and I get to be a part of it...and so do you! What a privilege!
Psalm 40:5 "You have multiplied...none can compare...I will proclaim...."
Soli graci,
Scott
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