Sudanese President Omar Hassan Bashir has practically declared war against South Sudan, the world's newest country, by stating that his main goal is now to "liberate" the southern people from their rulers, following recent border fighting.
The Heglig oil field, which is recognised by the international community as part of Sudan and was seized by the southerners this month, "will not be the end. The end will be in Juba," Bashir told a rally on Wednesday. He told the crowd that his message to South Sudan was: "Either we end up in Juba and take everything or you end up in Khartoum and take everything."
That clearly means, if Bashir acts accordingly, that it will be an open war between the Khartoum government in the north and the southern authorities based in Juba.
It is the peak of tensions between Khartoum and Juba since South Sudan became an independent state last July, after decades of a bitter civil war which killed two million people.
The Juba government says that it was forced to seize Heglig because the northerners had been using it as a base to launch attacks on South Sudan, which is ruled by the former rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement.
Forces of the north and south have been fighting in several areas since South Sudan seceded from Sudan following a referendum held last year. The feud is essentially a creation of the British colonial power, which gave little regard to the sharp disparity between the Arab Muslim-dominated north and the mostly African south when it ended its rule of the area in the 1960s. The north-south conflict had been simmering since then, but it burst out into an open civil war in the mid-1980s. An internationally brokered agreement ended the fighting in 2005 and led to the 2011 referendum and creation of South Sudan.
However, Khartoum and Juba failed to agree on several key issues. These include transit fees Juba should pay Khartoum to use its oil pipeline, demarcation of the border, division of national debt, conflicting claims to the oil-producing area of Abyei in the south and the rights of citizens who after separation found themselves in a foreign country. It is estimated that there are 500,000 southerners in Sudan and 80,000 northerners in South Sudan. The two sides accuse each other of supporting rebel groups.
There is no longer any pretence of peace and any understanding between Bashir and South Sudan President Salva Kiir. Both sides are said to be building up their forces, including voluntary fighters, for a major clash in which Khartoum hopes to retake Heglig, which the southerners call Panthou.
There is an Israeli involvement in the conflict. Israel has been supplying weapons to the southerners since the start of their uprising, as admitted by Joseph Lagu, former leader of the rebel forces. Tel Aviv maintains close relations with South Sudan. Kiir paid a visit to Israel last year to cement the relationship.
An all-out war will be disastrous to both sides. Their oil-dependent economies cannot withstand a conflict. The Juba government had earlier shut off the oil wells that financed both governments. A few more weeks of closure of the northern pipeline, will wreck the south's only oil export route beyond salvation.
The currencies of both sides have all but collapsed. The two stand to suffer from hyperinflation and massive food deficits if they spend any large amount on war. The peoples of Sudan, both north and south, suffered enough but could face a worse situation.
Nobody seems to know how to go about finding a peaceful solution to the conflict.
(The writer is a prominent columnist. The article was published in Jordan Times on April 20, 2012.) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
We know Someone who can bring true peace and healing of this worsening conflict. Please pray for the powers of division and darkness to be bound and overthrown so that the two next door neighbor nations can be reconciled and get along with each other.
(http://globaldayofprayer.us4.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=61b0c63c85d40ff9701a40c76&id=ec891bce89&e=f9768a534f)
reports the follow:
Ethnic Tuareg rebels have seized control of three main provinces in northern Mali. The National Movement for the Liberation of the Azawad (NMLA), which led the rebellion, claims to be secular. However, they have been aided by jihadists fighting specifically for an Islamic state in which Sharia (Islamic law) is enforced.
Once the NMLA achieved its goal, its ally, a jihadist faction known as Ansar Dine, seized control, hoisted the black flag of al-Qaeda, and announced the imposition of Sharia. Sources say there are now four flags flying in Gao province--those of the NMLA, Boko Haram, Ansar Dine, and al-Qaeda.
The rebellion has resulted in widespread violence. Rapes have been reported and massive destruction and looting have crippled the humanitarian aid sector. In addition, Christian charities and churches have been destroyed. Virtually the entire Christian population of northern Mali has been forced to flee.
Sources: Assist News Service and Religious Liberty Monitoring
PRAY:
• Please pray for the comfort, provision and protection of Mali Christians who have been victimized and displaced.
• Pray that God will thwart the plans of the wicked and prevent Mali from becoming a sanctuary for Islamic extremists.
• Pray for revival and that many in Mali will turn to the Lord
Edenfest Gen 1:1 'In the Beginning God Created'
Edenfest is an Ecumenical (Combined Churches) Arts Festival to created to reveal the Beauty of God in the Arts and is designed to engage over 500,000 people to participate across Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.
The heart of Edenfest is to bring genuine unity and mission to reveal the Beauty of God in the Arts across youth, families and communities. The success of this vision has only been possible through God's hand of providence and His strategies revealed in prayer. At present, Edenfest has:
• 17 Heads and Leaders of Churches [representing 12 different denominations signed up as members of the Edenfest Board of Reference (BOR)]
• Catholic Bishop Putney is the Chairperson and has engaged the Catholic Churches to sign on as a whole denomination - a world first - which from the last Australian census represents 8M Australians.
• God has also given us favour in Parliament House with the Senator of NSW agreeing to host the launch of Edenfest in our Nations Capital in August.
• Sponsorship traction with a major sponsor 80% secured to fund $3M in-kind and three more Major Business Brands in the process.
Edenfest is a vision which brings the churches, Government and Community together to enhance a stronger Christian presence in our communities. Urgent prayer is needed at present for:
• 2nd May Meeting - Leaders & Heads of Churches coming together to plan Edenfest Parliamentary Launch for wisdom as they represent us in the Parliament House in August.
• David Jenkins AM - Chairperson for our Board of Directors - has been hit quite hard with illness throughout his family whilst standing solid on this vision, please pray for covering and surgery on 7th May.
• Edenfest Team - Made up of volunteers and paid workers who have had continual equipment breakdown and major health issues.
Major Prayer Alert
• Christian Unity Blockage - Australia as a country is currently debating "The Marriage Equality Amendment Bill" which if passed will legalise same sex marriages and undermine the unity that is forming within the Churches of Australia and would be the breakdown of Edenfest as this is critical to our vision being based in genuine unity.
Thank you for your partnership in prayer.
Shalom,
Last week we noted the creative ways in which the border patrol and others are getting the word out regarding the dangers of crossing the borders illegally. Equally as creative are the drug cartels working to get drugs from Mexico to the United States.
The cartels are placing ads in the classified sections of Mexican newspapers, offering work in the United States - an invitation that only people who can cross the border legally need apply - with a phone number and sometimes a location to apply in person. New hires are told to drive company cars across the border, typically to a fast-food restaurant or shopping center. When they arrive, they are often told there will be no work after all on that day, and they must leave the car and walk back to Mexico after being paid a small amount. The drivers are typically paid $50 to $200 a trip - much less than the $1,500 to $5,000 that seasoned smugglers are typically paid for such trips.
There have been 39 arrests since February 2011 at San Diego's two border crossings tied to the ads for seemingly legitimate jobs, according to ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), which hadn't seen such significant numbers before. Those arrests have yielded 3,400 pounds of marijuana, 75 pounds of cocaine and 100 pounds of methamphetamine - a tiny fraction of total seizures but enough to convince U.S. authorities that smugglers are increasingly turning to the recruitment technique. The cases can be challenging for prosecutors because drivers may not know they are smuggling drugs.
Authorities are also checking into a scheme by some Delta Airline TSA workers who are accused of trafficking drugs. They would find a checked bag after it had been screened and put drugs or cash inside. A passenger would then pick it up at baggage claim like any other bag. A federal investigation has already found that hundreds of thousands of pounds of methamphetamine was smuggled between the two states over the past two years.
PRAY:
• Ask the Lord to continue to reveal the schemes of the cartels so that the authorities can properly deal with them. For those watching at the gates to be alert to suspicious activity.
• For those who are being caught in the web of cartel deceit to be as shrewd as snakes (Matt 10:16) in understanding what they are involving themselves with.
• For participants on both sides of the borders, who willingly involve themselves in illegal activity, to be captured and held accountable for their actions.
Though they plot evil against you and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed. ~Psalm 21:11
Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel remains at large, free to wreak havoc on the lives of people all over the world. Until he is captured, we continue to pray!
Thanks to your intercession, Pastor Isauro and son Caleb were liberated this morning!!! The pastor was beaten by the captors though the son was treated well. The family had to pay a ransom for their liberation.
The Syrian regime appears to be sinking to new lows with reports of security forces executing Syrians who speak to UN observers. The military also reportedly is halting violence against towns for visits by UN observers but then resuming attacks as soon as UN personnel depart. Syrians have become so frustrated at the inability of the UN observers to stop the violence that activist videos have surfaced mocking them as useless.
This month's deadly attacks on the Afghan Parliament and foreign embassies in Kabul showed the determination of the Haqqani network to resist diplomatic efforts to bring about a peaceful settlement in Afghanistan and instead step up violence to hasten the withdrawal of NATO forces. The attacks also raise serious questions about the way ahead in Afghanistan a month before a crucial NATO meeting that President Obama will host in Chicago on May 20 and 21.
Pray for the break-up and overthrow of this evil group and that the authorities in both Pakistan and Afghanistan can bring them to justice.
Chuck Colson, known worldwide for founding Prison Fellowship and several other ministry outreaches, has gone home to be with the Lord.
Intercessors for America at one point in our history shared office space with Prison Fellowship in Reston, VA. Intercessors for America laments the passing of Chuck Colson and will miss his wonderful insights into the world as to how Christians should decipher world events and be salt and light in a world that needs Jesus. IFA's Executive Chairman of the Board John D. Beckett hosted a memorable interview with Chuck Colson a few years back entitled LIVING THE GOSPEL/DEFENDING THE TRUTH where they addressed the topics of Biblical Worldview, Islam vs. Christianity, the Role of the Church in this Society, the Role of Democracy, and the War on Terror among other subjects.
On March 31, the 80-year-old Colson had surgery for a pool of blood on the surface of his brain. In the days following surgery, he seemed to improve slightly each day but took a turn for the worse late Tuesday (April 17). Family members were called to his bedside. He passed away Saturday afternoon shortly after 3:00 p.m. (Eastern) at a northern Virginia hospital.
In a tribute by Dr. Michael Milton with Reformed Theological Seminary he says, "Chuck Colson was truly a new man. His life forever will be remembered, not in a legacy of political intrigue, but with a legacy of new life in Jesus Christ that overflowed to the world with a robust intellect and dynamic message lived out in a heart of deep, demonstrable compassion. Yet the new life that transforms old legacies of shame into legacies of faithfulness is available to all who call, like Chuck, on the name of Jesus Christ in repentance and faith."
Pray for Chuck's family and for Prison Fellowship Ministries. Give thanks to the Lord for a wonderful testimony in a life redeemed by the hand of God. Please keep the prisoners that Chuck left behind in your prayers as the Lord leads.
"And he did not permit him but said to him, 'Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.'"(Mark 5:19)