Sudan: Samaritan’s Purse Bible College Bombed

Sudan: Samaritan’s Purse Bible College Bombed
At least eight bombs were dropped in the area Wednesday during the school’s first day of classes
02/03/2012 Sudan (ANS)-Samaritan’s Purse has announced that a Bible school that they support, was destroyed on Wednesday, February 1, 2012, in the latest bombing raid to hit South Kordofan, an oil-rich Sudanese province that borders the newly created independent country of South Sudan.
At least eight bombs were dropped in the area of Heiban Bible College Wednesday during the school’s first day of classes, according to a statement by Samaritan’s Purse, Franklin Graham’s Christian humanitarian group, which supports the school.
Heiban Bible College operates out of a compound in the Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan, which borders the new nation of South Sudan, and fortunately, no injuries were reported.
“We have been working for years in Sudan,” Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham said on Wednesday. “Today our Bible school in Heiban in the Nuba Mountains was bombed by the Sudanese Air Force. No one was killed or hurt, but buildings were destroyed. Please pray for the safety of believers, and that God would intervene.”
The son of evangelist Billy Graham went on to say, “My staff and I are deeply concerned for the welfare and lives of the people in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan who were terrorized by the bombings of the Heiban Bible College. This attack was carried out by Sudanese Air Force planes that dropped eight bombs on the school that Samaritan’s Purse, the international Christian relief organization I lead, constructed and dedicated in 2007 to train local pastors.
“It was the first day of class for the new school year and the campus was full of students, teachers and teachers’ families. It was a miracle that no one was injured or killed. The bombs ignited grass in and around the campus and we still do not know the full extent of the damage.
“We at Samaritan’s Purse condemn the repeated attacks on the innocent people who are being terrorized in the Nuba Mountains. Many have been forced to flee their homes and we are committed to helping those in need. My prayer is that the world will not just sit by and watch and hope for the best, but make it clear to the government of Sudan that attacks like these will not be tolerated.”
Samaritan’s Purse has supported the Heiban Bible College since it was founded in 2007. The organization constructed classrooms, dormitories, kitchens, a dining room and housing for teachers and in 2010, Franklin Graham attended and spoke at the ceremony for the first graduating class of 36 students.
Samaritan’s Purse and Franklin Graham have a long history in Sudan, having spent some $100 million to help the Sudanese people. The organization has been working throughout Sudan since 1993, providing hundreds of thousands of people with food, medical aid and vocational training.
Graham, who has called on the international community to take out Sudan’s air assets and establish a no-fly zone in the region, said in a statement Thursday that he blamed Sudan’s air force for the strike.
At least four churches have been destroyed since August, the group said.
CNN is reporting, “More than 78,000 people have fled South Kordofan and Blue Nile states since August of last year after an armed rebellion took root, the United Nations reported. The Sudanese government is thought to have responded to the rebellion by conducting sustained air raids with the use of Russian-made Antonov bombers, which have raised concerns over civilian casualties.
“Decades of civil war between the north and south, costing as many as 2 million lives, formally ended with a U.S.-brokered peace treaty in 2005.
But before South Sudan gained independence in July of last year, human rights monitors expressed concerns that longstanding grievances could again lead to violence consuming the region.
“In November, there were several days of bombings near an entry point for refugees at the border, the United Nations reported. It did not specify who launched the bombs.”
Now, the United States has accused Sudan of targeting civilians in recent airstrikes, including one that destroyed the Bible school.
“The United States strongly condemns the bombing by the Sudanese Armed Forces of civilian populations in Southern Kordofan,” a White House statement said. “Aerial attacks on civilian targets are unjustified and unacceptable. Such attacks are a violation of international law and compound the ongoing crisis in these areas.”
CNN added, “The Sudanese government could not be immediately reached for comment, but has said in the past that it is targeting rebels in the area.”
Decades of civil war between the north and south, costing as many as 2 million lives, formally ended with a U.S.-brokered peace treaty in 2005.
But before South Sudan gained independence in July of last year, human rights monitors expressed concerns that longstanding grievances could again lead to violence consuming the region.
In November, there were several days of bombings near an entry point for refugees at the border, the United Nations reported. It did not specify who launched the bombs.
The White House statement, released on Thursday, urged for officials to find others ways to settle the conflict.
“We believe that this conflict can only be resolved by dialogue, not through violence, and we encourage all parties to negotiate a peaceful settlement,” the statement said.