A Recent Situation of South Sudan and Christian Missions

Kang Byung Kwon

The purpose of this article is to review the recent conditions of civil wars and of Christian missions in South Sudan and offer some suggestions guided by the following five questions: Why did this tragic civil war occur in South Sudan, a country so rich with water and oil? Why did the British give up establishing two separate independent nations at the end of the colonial rule when Sudan suffered ceaseless internal conflicts stemming from irreconcilable differences between the North and the South? How did the many rebel groups in South Sudan come to exist? Why do they fight with the South Sudanese government? How could Korean missionaries effectively contribute in a country as deeply wounded as South Sudan? The author begins the article with some general information and brief historical background of South Sudan in order to demonstrate a multilayered complexity of the current situation. Section two focuses on three major periods prior to the 19th century that continue to fuel the conflicts between the North and the South due to systematic discrimination and exploitation against the Southerners: The reign of Egypt, the reign of Anglo-Egypt, and the period after its independence. Section three discusses a progressive development of South Sudan’s from the referendum on independence in January 2011 to the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in January 2015 between Sudanese government and Sudan’s People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM). Section four analyzes the course of civil wars and the formation of South Sudan. Lastly, section five provides a summary of a few missionary activities, thereby suggesting how Korean missionaries can contribute in this country.

KJC Korea
Journal Central

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