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Sudan

• Team Returns From Southeastern Sudan

  A multi-ministry, international team has returned from the Blue and Upper Nile regions of southeastern Sudan after conducting an investigation of recent developments in the country and sponsoring a four-day church leaders conference.

  Representatives from The Voice of the Martyrs, Servant's Heart and Freedom Quest International discovered evidence of atrocities, including the deliberate killing of young children, by troops of the Islamist government of Sudan (GOS) in direct violation of the March 2002 agreement between the GOS and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM). In the agreement, the parties agreed, among other things, to discontinue attacks against civilian targets. The team also discovered that government-backed militias continue to violate the agreed upon ceasefire. Reliable sources also report a significant military buildup in and around Juba, also in violation of the ceasefire agreement. It is feared that the government of Sudan may be preparing a major offensive to coincide with expected US-led action against Iraq, to take advantage of diverted world attention.

  The GOS and SPLM are presently meeting in Kenya for peace negotiations. According to Reuters, an agreement was reached yesterday ceding control of any areas captured since October and to allow international observers to investigate any violations of the agreement. However, any optimism from this announcement is dampened by the history of violations, particularly by the Sudanese government.

  A joint press release with more details on the trip to Sudan will be issued within the next day or so. Representatives from The Voice of the Martyrs, led by Communications Director Glenn Penner, also conducted a four-day church leaders conference in the town of Yabus. Local Mabaan and Uduk church leaders from the region gathered to receive specific training in discipling young Christians. The church in Sudan continues to grow at an impressive rate, but the majority of church leaders in this region have little or no biblical education. Most churches have few Bibles in their indigenous language. Presently only the New Testament is complete in the Uduk and Mabaan languages.

  The Voice of the Martyrs, in partnership with Servant's Heart, anticipates launching a significant two-year theological education by extension course in the Mabaan language in early 2004. Glenn Penner, writing in an email today enroute from Africa, asked for prayer for the necessary arrangements for the development and translation of the study material into Mabaan and that the training of indigenous leadership will progress speedily. "There is a tremendous need for this course," wrote Penner. "The people there are already eagerly anticipating its launch. Pray, too, that we will see peace in Sudan. This region is near the frontlines and it is expected that it will be among the first places attacked should the GOS launch an offensive in the next month or so. So please pray!

• Talisman's Sale In Doubt; Cease-fire Strained

  Questions are being raised on whether the sale of Talisman Energy's interests in Sudan to India's national oil company will be able to proceed. The problems center on the other partners in the Greater Nile Oil Project that include the national oil companies of China, Malaysia and Sudan. Talisman owns a 25% share in the project.

  The difficulties apparently revolve around the unfriendly relations that exist between the governments of China and India. There has also been talk that the partners may want a share in the $1.2 billion profit that Talisman will be making from the sale. Talisman Energy, one of Canada's largest oil companies, continues to affirm the January 31 closing date for the sale.

  Talisman Energy has been under intense international pressure over its involvement in the oil production in Sudan. Many reports have confirmed that oil is the primary funding for the Islamist government's offensive against the people of southern Sudan that has killed over two million people. In spite of a cease-fire, government forces have launched a new offensive in the past week, using helicopters, tanks, and ground troops against villages near the oil production sites.

  Pray for peace in Sudan. Pray that the international community will be stirred to act to prevent the continuing attacks against the non-Muslim people of southern Sudan.