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March 24, 2005

The Horsmen of Darfur

Greetings in the Lord. In the last month we have traveled through Darfur, Sudan and witnessed, once again, as we have many times on this journey, the spirit of Death and War. In writing this we think to ourselves, "How do we explain what we have seen? How do we tell of the rape, murder, and genocide?"


In the first century AD John wrote what he saw in his Apocolaypse, which is also translated Revelation. He writes, in the 6th chapter and 8th verse, "And I looked, and behold, a plae horse: and his name that sat on him was Death; and Hell followed with him." Last week in Darfur in one of the hundreds of dusty IDP camps a man in a plastic tent stated this to us, "The Devils on Horseback came and burned our village, raped our women, and killed us all." These horsemen he was speaking about are the Janjaweed, which translated means, "Devils on Horseback". Since 2003 the Janjaweed, who are apart off and support by the Khartoum government, have carried out a campain of terror on the people of Darfur. For the last two years all offical numbers of deaths, according to the UN has stayed at 70,000 with 2,000,000 displaced from their homes; but in a recent statement a UN offical said there was as many as 180,000 dead and even more likley the number was five times as high as the initial 70,000 figure making it over 350,000 dead.

When we arrived in Darfur the Janjaweed were attacking NGO workers in the region, which forced, two days earlier, an evacuation of all Aid workers out of any place except El Genina. The situation was tense and the motivation of the Janjaweed was obvious--get rid of the Aid workers, AU (African Union) and UN and the genocide can continue without restrictions. We use the word "genocide", but the UN offically position is that the Darfur crisis is only "Crimes against humanity" and not "genocide". If they were to call it genocide they would be forced to act militarily, something they nor the AU is willing to due. So in a simular way Darfur is becoming like Rwanda '94. Thousands of people continue to die and we will read about it in Time and Newsweek and be left to wonder when this holucost is complete, "Why did nobody do anything?".

In the IDP camps the Darfurans told us their stories and when asked why they thought this was happening to them they replied,"Because we are black. The Arabs who are all Janjaweed said they will kill all blacks in Darfur and rape our women to get ride of the black." We then asked, "But you are Muslim and they are Muslim doesn't that make you brothers?"
"No!" came the respoinse with convicted anger, "They say because we are not Arab we are not truely Muslim."

On a Sunday we attended the only church in Darfur; a catholic service made up of AU soldiers, Aid workers, and South Sudanese; there were maybe 60 people in attendance.

We also traveled on helicopter missions with the AU to the border regions and to villages that had been a recnt flash point of Janjaweed attacks. On one such mission we came face to face with the Janjaweed. He dawned a green military unifrom of North Sudan and brandished a wip in his hand. When asked about the insecurity in the area he pointed to the crowd in a harsh motion and said to the crowd of Darfurans around him, "Let anyone raise his hand if there is insecurity in this village." Out of fear everyone ducked there heads. There are many more things to speak about the Darfur crisis, but what is the conclusion for us who believe in Christ Jesus?

Well again in Revelation 19:11 is speaks of another horseman: "And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True: and in righteousness He judges and wages war." This horseman in Christ Jesus at His second coming. The Darfurans have been slaughtered by an evil upon a horse, and may they now know that they have a vindicator that will come upon a horse; one that is Faithful and True and who will fight the enemy--the Devil.

But how will they know about the one who is called Faithful and True without a preacher? Blessed are the feet of him who brings the Good News. May you read this and realize the Lord has use of you to speak to all mankind, especially those who have never heard, the message of he who is named Faithful and True--Christ Jesus. Amen.

Posted by Admin at March 24, 2005 11:41 AM