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Christians tortured in South Sudan

Government agents and Islamic militants recently launched deadly attacks on Christians in Sudan's South Kordofan state. On June 8, a Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) Intelligence unit detained a seminary student, Nimeri Philip Kalo, near the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) in the capital city of Kadugli. Nimeri and other Christians were fleeing the town after Muslim militias loyal to the SAF attacked and looted at least three local churches. The agents reportedly accused Nimeri of being a Christian and suspected he was therefore opposed to the Islamic government. The UNMIS's mandate is to support the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the Government of Sudan and the country's Christian and animist south, which is scheduled to secede on July 9. Nimeri was killed in front of several bystanders. "They shot him in front of our eyes and forced us not to cry, or else we would face the same fate," said one witness.

These refugees have fled from the fighting in South Kordofan state

The same day, Islamic militants aligned with SAF killed a Christian bus driver, Adeeb Gismalla Aksam (33), by sword in the Kadugli Market. That afternoon, other armed militants attacked a Roman Catholic Church building where Christians were gathered for mass, firing guns and shouting "Allahu-akbar." No one was injured, but SAF agents arrested Reverend Abraham James Lual in front of his congregation. They accused Abraham of preaching that people should oppose the Islamic government and took him to an unknown location. He was tortured for two days before being released.

Pray for healing for Abraham. Pray for God's enduring comfort to reign in the hearts of the friends and family members of the martyred believers. Pray that their example of costly discipleship will enrich the witness of the Sudanese Church. Pray that Sudanese Christians will continue to trust in God's love and provision, even in times of instability, violence and loss.

To find out more about the persecution believers face in Sudan, go to the Sudan Country Report