John Yual Nguth, a Church of the Nazarene missionary on the Africa East Field, recently provided an update on the situation in South Sudan. 

"We have been praying for South Sudan for three years, since civil war broke out in December 2013," he said. "There has been a peace agreement between the warring parties of Government and the Opposition Forces in August 2015, giving hope for the people for the restoration of permanent peace, but it did not work out well."

On 8 July, the Sudan Tribune reported heavy fighting erupted inside South Sudan's presidential palace as a group of presidential soldiers allegedly attempted to arrest his first deputy, Riek Machar. Fighting continued until 12 July, when a ceasefire was declared.

"Sadly, there has been fighting for last three days (15-18 July)," Nguth said. "Currently, thousands of people are displaced, again, but the government is preventing them from leaving the country. They live in sad situations of fear and hunger. Thousands are being rooted out of their homes with many running to Kenya and Uganda, and still others are being detained or prevented from leaving the country."

Some embassies have temporarily closed, while others, such as the U.S. Embassy, have sent in military personnel to protect the embassy and personnel in the city of Juba. 

"As we have churches in most of the refugee camps, please continue praying for them in such a way that many will know Christ and His work in their lives," Nguth said. "The situation still needs urgent prayer so that God may bring a solution to this crisis as we, in our humanness, do not know how it can end."

--Church of the Nazarene Africa Region via Out of Africa