Atar Village and SIM Base Burnt in Southern Sudan

At 11:35 on December 31, 2009 our SIM Sudan leadership team was notified that the SIM Sudan Atar station was burnt as well as the Sudan Interior Church and half the village of Atar during ethnic unrest. All our missionaries are coming out as soon as possible. A contingent of Sudan People’s Liberation Army soldiers and the county commissioner are with them.

Abraham, the Sudanese Atar compound manager, phoned to report that “enemies attacked and at about 4:30 am and that fire consumed the compound destroying the housing. All the personal belongings and the satellite phone were destroyed. The brick school building has not been burnt.

Nigerian SIM missionary, Ubandoma, had what sounds like second degree burns on his back and hand. His wife, Ruth, Antoro and Liskebe have small blisters. The County Commissioner immediately came, lent his satellite phone and is waiting at the airstrip with the SIM Sudan team of missionaries.”

The crisis management team has organized an AIMAIR Caravan to fly to Lokichoggio in northwest Kenya. At dawn tomorrow the plane is expected to leave Loki and arrive at Atar around 8 am. The people being evacuated are Yacob Aga and Tibarkek Wondimu, Ubandoma and Ruth Nadab and their children (Antoro, 8, Keshiya 5, Liskebe 3), Getachew Abo and Kelemwa Tihahu Debieneh and their two girls (Kalkidan, 7 and Wongel, 8). Burn care – if needed--will be referred to Kijabe, outside of Nairobi in Kenya and Nancy Congdon (Member Care Manager) can offer care.

Atar Chewi, in Jonglei State, is the site of the SIM Sudan Basic Education Learning Center. It was started four years ago and we have good relationships with the community. The Primary School teacher training was initiated in September of 2009 but all students were away from the school for the Christmas holidays. The BELC building was not damaged in the attack but more than half the village was burned. We have no news on the suffering or problems in the wider area at this time.

Sincerely,
Chris Crowder
SIM Sudan Director