Prayers for the Church in Sudan--New persecutions and new Martyrs

PRAYERS REQUESTED FOR SOUTHERN SUDAN - September 3, 2009

The Anglican Church in North America is asking its constituent congregations to pray at this weekend's services for those impacted by the recent tragic murders in southern Sudan, and for peace in that troubled nation. Forty men, women and children were killed the region's recent upswing in violence. Among the dead was the Ven. Joseph Mabior Garang, Archdeacon of Wernyol and Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul Yak's Commissary in the new Diocese of Twic East, who was shot at the altar of the church in Wernyol during a service of Morning Prayer. Many more were seriously wounded in the brutal attacks.


The rising tide of violence in Twic East and Ezo Counties has also led to the destruction of homes, as well as loss of life. Donations for support of the region's 39,000 displaced persons and the bereaved family of Archdeacon Garang (including his widow and children) may be sent to Anglican Mainstream (noting "AID - Sudan"), 21 High Street, Eynsham, OX29 4HE or donated through the Paypal link on Anglican Mainstream website (www.anglican-mainstream.net). All funds will be sent directly through to those in need with no deductions.

here is more information:

Tens of others have been wounded, some very seriously with gun-shot wounds and broken limbs. Only a few of these have been taken to Juba Military Hospital, whilst the rest are still in Bor Hospital.

I have leant from Episcopal Church sources on the ground that the attackers were well armed with new automatic weapons, dressed in army uniforms, and appeared well-organized and properly trained. Instead of attacking a cattle camp, this was an attack on a Payam headquarter town. Consequently in the view of the Church, this was not a tribal conflict as commonly reported, but a deliberately organized attack on civilians by those that are against the peace in Southern Sudan. These reports confirm the suspicions that I aired in my May 2009 appeal to the diplomatic and international community in Sudan.

Last week I received the news from Ezo, Ezo County, Western Equatoria State, that there had been another devastating attack by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) on Ezo town on 12th/13th August in which three people, including an Episcopal Church lay reader had been murdered. The attack included the abduction of children from the Episcopal church building in Ezo, and several thousand more people have been displaced into Ezo town – people that the local churches are struggling to care for. Ezo Hospital was also attacked, medicine stolen and equipment destroyed.

...more

May God have mercy on the Sudanese and may the blood of these martyrs be the seed of the Church in southern Sudan.