When South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in July 2011, it was hoped that this would bring an end to years of ethnic and religiously-motivated strife. But the Government of Sudan continues to crack down on Christians.

Foreign Christians are being arrested and deported at short notice, and their property confiscated. In 2012, Christmas was not officially observed as a public holiday. In April 2013, the government announced that no new church licences would be issued. All of this reinforces President Omar al-Bashir’s repeated calls for a “100% Islamic Sudan”.

Please stand with us in prayer as our Operation 18 campaign fights for this right to be upheld:

• Ask God to protect foreign Christians whose lives are uprooted after they are deported;
• Pray that Christians in Sudan would be strengthened even as they endure increasing opposition;
• Pray for church leaders trying to encourage their congregations in these difficult times;
• Pray that the threats against churches and church leaders in the north would stop;
• Pray that Christians and Muslims would find ways of living together peacefully;
• Pray that a multicultural, multi-religious vision of Sudan would triumph over a restrictive and singular vision;
• Ask God for favour for CSW’s Africa team as they work to bring cases of Christian persecution in Sudan to the attention of governments.