WHEREAS, Sudan has been engaged in an eighteen-year genocidal war, killing approximately 2 million people, mostly Christians and followers of traditional animist religions, and displacing more than 4 million Sudanese; and
WHEREAS, The current extremist Islamic regime of Khartoum increasingly has tortured, maimed, raped, enslaved, and murdered Christian men, women, and children who refuse to deny their faith in Christ; and
WHEREAS, The government of Sudan continues to restrict the direct delivery of food and relief aid into certain areas of Sudan; and
WHEREAS, Southern Baptist missionaries of the International Mission Board are working with other organizations to provide relief assistance and pastoral care; and
WHEREAS, It is the duty of all Christians to come to the aid of the persecuted church; and
WHEREAS, The Word of God exhorts us to remember “those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering” (Hebrews 13:3 NIV); and
WHEREAS, The State Department of the previous Administration designated Sudan as a country “of particular concern” for violations of religious freedom; and
WHEREAS, Colin Powell, Secretary of State for the current Administration, recently said the government of Sudan is “. . . the biggest single abuser of human rights on earth”; and
WHEREAS, President Bush in a speech given on May 3, 2001, to the American Jewish Congress said, “Sudan is a disaster area for all human rights. . . . We must turn the eyes of the world upon the atrocities in Sudan. . . . and my Administration will continue to speak and act for as long as the persecution and atrocities in Sudan last”; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, June 12-13, 2001, publicly decry the ongoing persecution, starvation, and genocide in Sudan and call upon all Southern Baptist congregations to educate and alert their members to conditions in Sudan; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we encourage all believers to intercede regularly in prayer for the victims of persecution in Sudan; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we encourage and support direct delivery of relief aid by public and private groups to victims of persecution and genocide in southern and central Sudan; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we call on the Sudanese government to halt the genocide of its people and to provide for the immediate protection of all people in Sudan from all forms of religious and ethnic persecution; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we commend President Bush for his strong public stand against persecution and genocide in Sudan and for his appointment of senior officials who are committed to ending religious persecution; and be it finally
RESOLUTION NO. 3 (continued)
RESOLVED, That we urge the Administration and Congress to use every appropriate means to compel the government of Sudan to stop these vicious atrocities and ongoing violations of religious freedom.