Syria's Civil War Explained
The Syrian civil war is the deadliest conflict the 21st century has witnessed thus far.
- “Five years since the conflict began, more than 450,000 Syrians have been killed in the fighting, more than a million injured and over 12 million Syrians - half the country's prewar population - have been displaced from their homes.
What caused the uprising?
Initially, lack of freedoms and economic woes fuelled resentment of the Syrian government, and public anger was inflamed by the harsh crackdown on protesters. Successful uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt energised and gave hope to Syrian pro-democracy activists. Many Islamist movements were also strongly opposed to the Assads' rule. In 1982, Bashar al-Assad's father, Hafez, ordered a military crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood in Hama, which killed between 10,000-40,000 people and flattened much of the city…
A severe drought plagued Syria from 2007-10, spurring as many as 1.5 million people to migrate from the countryside into cities, which exacerbated poverty and social unrest. Although the initial protests were mostly non-sectarian, armed conflict led to the emergence of starker sectarian divisions. Minority religious groups tend to support the Assad government, while the overwhelming majority of opposition fighters are Sunni Muslims. Although most Syrians are Sunni Muslims, Syria's security establishment has long been dominated by members of the Alawite sect, of which Assad is a member. The sectarian split is reflected among regional actors' stances as well. The governments of majority-Shia Iran and Iraq support Assad, as does Lebanon-based Hezbollah ; while Sunni-majority states including Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and others staunchly support the rebels…
The situation today
On November 26, the Syrian army launched a military offensive on Aleppo . In less than a month, Syrian troops, with unfettered Russian air support, were able to recapture 90 percent of the eastern part of Aleppo.
On December 13, the Syrian army claimed that 98 percent of east Aleppo was in the hands of Syrian government forces.
Besides, Aleppo, the Syrian government currently controls the capital, Damascus, parts of southern Syria and Deir Az Zor, much of the area near the Syrian-Lebanese border, and the northwestern coastal region. Rebel groups, ISIL, and Kurdish forces control the rest of the country.
Rebel groups continue to jockey against one another for power, and frequently fight each other. The Free Syrian Army has weakened as the war has progressed, while explicitly Islamist groups, such as the al-Nusra Front, that has pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda , became empowered. Last July, al-Nusra front leader, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, announced his group's name has also changed to Jabhat Fateh al Sham, or The Front for liberation of al Sham.
In 2013, ISIL emerged in northern and eastern Syria after overrunning large portions of Iraq. The group quickly gained international notoriety for its brutal executions and its energetic use of social media. Meanwhile, Kurdish groups in northern Syria are seeking self-rule in areas under their control. This has alarmed Turkey's government, which fears its large native Kurdish population may grow more restive and demand greater autonomy as a result. Last August, Turkish troops and special forces, backed by the Free Syria Army, launched operation "Euphrates Shield" against ISIL to liberate the strategic Syrian city of Jarablus on the border with Turkey. Euphrates Shield operation is considered to be the first Turkish ground intervention in Syria since the Syrian crisis started in 2011.
The Syrian war is creating profound effects far beyond the country's borders. Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan are now housing large and growing numbers of Syrian refugees, many of whom have attempted to journey onwards to Europe in search of better conditions. Fighting has occasionally spilled over from Syria into Lebanon, contributing to the country's political polarisation. Several rounds of peace talks have failed to stop the fighting. But with much of the country in ruins , millions of Syrians having fled abroad, and a population deeply traumatised by war, one thing is certain: Rebuilding Syria after the war ends will be a lengthy, extremely difficult process.”
Please keep Syria and this ongoing conflict in your prayers. Let’s pray for His peace to come soon after seven years of fruitless fighting that has wrought so much destruction on this land and its people.
GROUND FORCE AND AIR FORCE UNITE: ADVOCATES INTERNATIONAL PRAYER INITIATIVE APPEAL
One of the most powerful combinations for the transformation of our nations is that of prayer and advocacy. Lawyers when filled with the Spirit of God and backed by the prayers of intercessors can do almost anything! Please consider this appeal for a large international coalition of about 30,000 Christian lawyers who are working on issues that will affect us all. They deeply need our prayers for the vital work they are doing. Here is their request for our support:
“In recognition of the need for prayer support of strategic and proven legal professionals engaged in the redemption of legal systems in the nations, coupled with the need for effective prayer warriors to be armed with state of the art intelligence concerning threats and opportunities in the Kingdom, this appeal is made to advance these important dynamics in the body of Christ. We have witnessed powerful outcomes when prayer and strategic action combine, in many nations. As an example, in South Australia, for 8 years not one piece of anti- family legislation passed our parliament because of the grace of God and the cooperation between parliamentarians and faithful intercessors. Just last December, the 15th attempt to introduce euthanasia was miraculously defeated in the same way.
We appeal to the readers to consider whether there is a resonance with the mission and vision of Advocates International reproduced below and a particular region listed below which has a well established leadership.
Once those of you to whom our Lord is speaking have been identified, we can consider how to best match you to the leaders in their physical regions. A segment may be identified of those of you who have a burden to pray in accordance with specific issues such as the sanctity of life or religious freedom, rather than a particular region and this can also be accommodated. Other synergies and combinations may emerge.
Vision Statement
A worldwide fellowship of advocates bearing witness of Jesus Christ through the legal profession.
Mission Statement
To encourage equip and enable advocates to meet locally, organize nationally, cooperate regionally, and link globally to protect and promote (i) integrity under rule of law, (ii) peace and reconciliation, (iii) doing justice with compassion, (iv) the sanctity of life, (v) religious freedom, and (vi) the family and community.
Further background can be obtained from advocatesinternational.org
If you are moved by this appeal and want to help support the mission of Advocates International, please contact Brent McBurney This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Mark Mudri This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
GAMBIA: THE TRIUMPH OF CORPORATE PRAYERS
Not all have been heard or written about what led to the smooth exit of Yahya Jammeh, the erstwhile President of the nation of Gambia, who ruled the tiny African country for twenty-two years, from 1995. The peaceful exit of Yahya Jammeh still remains a surprise in a continent known for turbulent elections and “sits tight” presidents.
Unknown to many, for five consecutive years, beginning from 2011 to 2015, leading to the Jubilee celebration of the nation of Gambia, corporate prayers were held by the Church for the peace, stability and progress of the nation. It is my view, as one who actively participated in those prayers, the peaceful exit of Yahya Jammeh without any gunshot and any soul lost, could not have been but for the corporate prayers which were made for the nation from 2011 till date. No doubt, international diplomacy brought tremendous pressure on Jammeh, but behind the scene prayers were made starting from 2011. What eventually happened 21st January 2017, was God's intervention in response to prayers.
Engineer Chinedu Meribole has been a missionary to the Gambia for over 25 years. After graduating in civil engineering from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, he answered the call of God in 1986 and was sent to the Gambia as a missionary. For years, he had carried the burden of that nation reaching out to the unreached peoples with the gospel. For five consecutive years, before the Jubilee celebration of Gambia on 18th February, 2015, he held prayer seminars under the theme A NEW DAWN, and mobilized the Church in Gambia to pray to experience full spiritual Jubilee, not knowing what lay ahead of the nation. The peaceful exit of Yahya Jammeh from the stage without any blood bath was a political Jubilee of some sort. Indeed a New Dawn has come to Gambia.
Prior to the elections held on the 2nd of December, 2016 which saw the emergence of Adama Barrow, Gambia has been the most peaceful West African nation. The beautiful Gambian beaches are daily full of tourists especially from the months of January to April of each year. Though one of the most poorest nations in Africa, her main export is groundnut, yet the nation boasts of having one of the cleanest and most beautiful beaches in African which makes her a tourist attraction. What strikes a visitor is the security and the low crime rate of the nation. Visit the nation and you will see tourists roaming the streets and surrounding villages with their families as late as midnight. Credit must go to Jammeh for the low crime rate, but at the same time, he is responsible for the poor economic development of the country that has given rise to its having the highest rate of migration of youths in the African continent.
The aphorism that "when we work, we work, but when we pray God works" is exemplified in the Gambia political situation. Gambia is a testimony of the ability of the Church to unite in corporate prayers and prevail in politics. After 22 years of misrule, Yahya Jammeh finally fled the country looting the nation's treasury, and leaving the poor nation bankrupt. We must however, continue to pray for the success of the new President, Adama Barrow. We must pray that the bug of corruption and political misrule that has plagued African nations for decades will not inflict him. We must pray for him to maintain religious tolerance. Jammeh had declared Gambia an Islamic State. Barrow has started well by reversing that declaration. Prayer works even in the politics of a nation!
AUSTEN C. UKACHI
IPC, WEST AFRICA
Contact:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
North Korea
New Year's Day (both solar and lunar) has come and gone and with it, Kim Jong Un's New Year's Address. Here is a link to the full text for anyone who is interested in wading through it all. A few highlights: As expected, he emphasized his nuclear program, vowing to strengthen its capabilities and issued a number of warnings to the West. He also emphasized agricultural development but without any real recognition of reality and what is needed. An interesting point was Kim Jong Un's unprecedented apology for short comings over the past year. However, there was not much of a positive response to this from a populace that wants to see actions not words.
On the economic front, the growing donju (money lords or money masters) are dropping more cash on expensive meals in Pyongyang and bidding up real estate in the capital as they follow South Korean styles in remodeling their new homes. North Korean restaurants are starting to offer free pizza to attract customers. At the same time new luxury food factories are languishing for lack of demand as people prefer imported foods. Yet, the vast majority still struggle to put food on the table and students, laboring under increased demands for "contributions" to fund growing budgets for "free" public education, are dropping out of school in order to go into business. North Korea is also selling their raw resources at a discount, especially coal to China in anticipation of China's coming ban on imports from the country. They are also making a push to get more involved with Russia's Maritime Province.
In the meantime, Kim Jong Un is giving mixed signals about building his personality cult, playing down his birthday but getting ready to erect solo portraits of himself around the country. At the same time, we are getting reports of growing discontent among the nation's elite and the potential for even more.
Remembering Our Brothers in Prison
Last month, we added Andrew Brunson to our list of pastors suffering imprisonment for the Faith. Andrew was charged by the Turkish goverment with terrorist activities and is in near solitary confinement. The accusation and actions came as a total surprise to this American family who have been serving faithfully in Turkey for 23 years. It seems that too many Muslims were coming to faith through his ministry. He and his wife are very discouraged and he is not sleeping well. His two sons are with their grandparents in Montreat, North Carolina. Hold this family up in your prayers.
We continue to pray for Pastor Hyeon Soo Lim of the Light Korean Church in Toronto as well as South Korean pastors Jeong Wook Kim, Kook Ki Kim and Choon Gil Choi and American Pastor Dong-chul Kim. We also lift up in our prayers University of Virginia student Otto Warmbier. There is little progress in his situation. Pray with us that these men be released to their homes and families soon. May 2017 be the year of full release!
Ben Torrey
Director
The Fourth River Project, Inc.
www.thefourthriver.org
Later development: Almost certainly, the North Korean regime carried out a hit-job in the assassination of Kim Jong Un’s older half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, at the Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, airport on Feb. 13 with two assassination teams of four people in each.
Let’s continue to pray that this ruthless and wicked regime will be removed from power and that North Korea can be saved from the horrors of its rule. Pray too for the release of those who have been imprisoned unjustly
