Fighting erupted on April 15 in Sudan's capital, Khartoum, approximately 10 hours by car from the Nuba Mountains. Over 400 people have been killed and thousands more displaced. The United States, the United Nations, and most other international organizations have evacuated personnel because of the security threat.

In this newsletter, we briefly address questions about the sources of this conflict as well as its potential impact on God's Church in the Nuba Mountains and the work sponsored by Pax Dei for Nuba.

Why did this conflict erupt?

This, at its heart, is a power struggle between two military leaders, General al-Burhan and General Daglo "Hemedti" (both pictured below), who previously served under former President Omar al-Bashir and who have had a power-sharing arrangement since ousting al-Bashir in 2019. 

Both of these men have unsavory pasts. They played prominent roles in the Darfur genocide and al-Bashir's civil war against the Sudanese people, including the people of the Nuba Mountains. These men were also involved in efforts to hunt down and execute Bishop Andudu when he was placed on al-Bashir's top-10 hit list. Both want to be supreme leader over the country, and neither is willing to give up power.

Why now?

The conflict erupted now because of world pressure on Sudan's transitional government to become a civilian-led democracy, with the military subjected to a democratically-elected civilian leader. The two rival generals apparently saw their positions under threat and moved to eliminate each other to clear their own way to power.

What impact will this have in the Nuba Mountains? 

In the short term, we do not expect this fighting to spill over into the Nuba Mountains. Neither of the warring generals has forces in the area, and there is little incentive to venture into a region that is well-protected by rebel forces who strongly support Bishop Andudu's work and the Nuba people.  

In the long term, whoever prevails will face a difficult-to-cross mountain barrier and people who know how to repel government forces. This makes it unlikely that they will venture into the Nuba Mountains for the foreseeable future.

How is the Church in the Nuba Mountains faring?

All of the Diocese projects supported by Pax Dei for Nuba are doing very well. Grace School is about to finish construction of a new $1 million campus. Recent evangelistic efforts have born much fruit. Church leaders and members are being fed and sustained by the Bread of Life

In the meantime, many facing the recent violence have fled to the Nuba Mountains, including the Archbishop of Sudan's wife and mother as well as the Provincial Mothers Union president. The Diocese of Kadugli is providing integral help and resources to these refugees. 

Bishop Andudu is currently traveling to the Nuba Mountains on the same route he has used for the past decade while his name has been on the government hit list. He plans to return to the U.S. in late May and will give us a full report. Until then, we continue to pray.

Now, more than ever, our financial contributions are needed to support the work of the Diocese of Kadugli. You can help by clicking on the DONATE button below.

For more information regarding the source of the conflict, here is an excellent 6 minute video from Al Jazeera.