Imagine a military junta that has killed two million of its population of 32 million in the past two decades because of their skin colour and religion. Imagine a regime that has caused so much terror within its own borders that six million people are internally displaced. Is this a description of the Chinese in Tibet? Or Burma rebranded as Myanmar? Or, until recently, Indonesia in East Timor?
No, this is Sudan, described by the British ambassador to Khartoum in a London-cleared speech, as “on the threshold of a new era”… —Lord Alton of Liverpool as quoted in Sudan Watch
While the UN has deliberated (only to conclude that the killing in Sudan is not an act of genocide) and governments have tip-toed around the problem so as to maintain their rights to Sudanese oil, bands of heavily-armed Janjaweed have terrorized the inhabitants of the Darfur region with impunity, murdering, raping, burning villages and driving the inhabitants off into the hinterlands where they are slowly starving to death.
Christian and humanitarian relief agencies are on the scene, providing help. But the slaughter and suffering is unabated. The Sudan is a perfect example of the impotence of political solutions to the problem of evil men carrying out evil deeds.
What should compassionate and mercy-loving people do to help the dying and starving people of Darfur?
First, give. Find a reputable charity that is working in the Sudan and make a financial commitment to their efforts. You will find a number of these organizations listed here.
Second, write to Secretary of State Rice and President Bush asking them to exert greater pressure on the government of Sudan and the UN to intervene and stop the killing. Send and email to President Bush. Send an email to Secretary Rice (click “Contact Us” at the bottom of the page).
Third, pray for peace. Pray that evil men will be stopped and brought to justice. Pray for healing, forgiveness, and the restoration of families to their homes.
Fourth, stay informed. Sudan Watch continuously updates its website with news and developments. Check there often.
God’s people are to be prophetic voices in a lost world. The suffering people of Darfur have no voice. You can speak for them. You can be their voice.