Sudan at a Crossroads

Remember the purple fingers from Iraq’s election? The men and women holding their fingers up, showcasing their pride in their ability to vote and determine their future? Sudan is on the cusp of their first election in nine years. It’s helpful context that the elections in 2000 were in the midst of a 23-year war, and the president (Bashir) won with 86% of the vote...after his bloodless coup in 1989.

The upcoming elections, this Sunday through Tuesday (April 11-13) are complex--in that there are a lot of moving parts and dynamics that I won’t do a great job explaining and are so fluid that by the time you read this things will have changed. You can find more details here.

In a nutshell:
The North is run by Omar al-Bashir. He of the 1989 coup, mastermind behind over 2 million deaths of Southerners and about 400,000 Darfurians. He has been indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court. He will most likely retain his Presidency. This vote will elect government offices in the North, South, and the Unity government. After the North and South signed their Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005, this election became one of many requirements leading up to the real biggie: Referendum vote in January 2011 for Southern secession or final unification.

Just as a review, the North is an Islamic state under Sharia law. The South is a mix of animistic and Christian beliefs that generally adhere to democracy. The stakes are extraordinarily high--way, way beyond healthcare. This is part of an existential voting process.

Oh, and there is a tremendous amount of oil...mostly in the South.

So what? And what does e3 have to do about any of this?
There is no hope in this government, but there is hope in Christ.

e3 Partners has been working in Sudan since 2006, shortly after the peace agreement was signed that ended the war and left the country devastated, underdeveloped, and unreached. With your help, e3 has gone to the people...

* In a country threatened by an oppressive regime, e3 has partnered with the local Sudanese church to share the Gospel with over 34,000 people and plant almost 60 churches.

* In a country where generations of leaders have been erased by war, e3 has worked to train over 2,500 new leaders through leadership and church planting campaigns and a Bible College that send out missionaries and pastors into unreached areas.

* In a country racked by alcoholism and despair, e3 has launched Rapha recovery program that disciples these individuals to live a life committed to Christ and free from oppression.

* In a country of 40 million where over half of the population are children, e3 has worked to care for this generation in a way that the government can’t with a feeding program and education from Nursery level through High School.

* In a country where88% of the womenare illiterate and received little to no education, e3 has launched a Vocational School through Seed Effect and a Women’s Discipleship Ministry to give them a hope and a future.

* In a country where almost 90% of the population lived on less than $1 a day in 2007, e3 has empowered women to provide food, clothing, shelter, clean water, education, and healthcare for their families through Seed Effect’s loan program by granting them access to microloans, education, and spiritual discipleship.

What to do?
1. We need to pray for Sudan. 1 Timothy 2: I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. [emphasis mine]