The leader of Sudan's interim military council has vowed to "uproot the regime" two days after a military coup.
Speaking on TV, Lt-Gen Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan announced the restructuring of state institutions, the end of a night curfew and the release of political prisoners.
Protests continue despite the ousting of long-time leader Omar al-Bashir.
Demonstrators have demanded an immediate move to civilian rule and vow to stay in the streets.
Gen Burhan, who replaced the coup leader after he resigned on Friday, also dissolved all provincial governments and pledged respect for human rights.
The army would maintain "peace, order and security" across Sudan during an already announced transition period that would last at most two years until elections could be and civilian rule introduced, he added.
Using a more conciliatory tone, Gen Burhan also called on the opposition to "help us restore normal life", promised to try those who killed demonstrators and vowed a war on corruption.
The speech followed the resignation of feared security chief Gen Salah Gosh hours after the coup leader himself, Defence Minister Awad Ibn Auf, stepped aside. No official reason has been given for either departure.
Later on Saturday the army named Lt Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo as the deputy head of the Transitional Military Council.
Known by the nickname "Hemeti", the general commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF), which grew out of the government-backed Janjaweed militia.
The Janjaweed are accused of carrying out atrocities in the western region of Darfur in the early 2000s.
What has the opposition said?
Opposition groups have met the military to discuss "transitional arrangements".
Protester spokesman Mohammad Youssef al-Mustafa told the BBC they insisted on the immediate creation of a civilian government, but said military figures would be allowed a role in it.
And according to the privately-owned Baj News website the leader of the opposition Sudanese Congress Party, Omar el-Digeir, said representatives had demanded a civilian government with "full executive powers" and a role for civilians during the transition.
He also said they were waiting for the army to release jailed demonstrators, as promised.
The Sudan Professionals Association (SPA), which has been spearheading the demonstrations, said the council's response "did not achieve any of the demands of the people" and urged protests to continue.
Among its demands are the restructuring of state security, the arrest of "corrupt leaders" and the dissolution of militias that operated under former President Bashir.
How did we get here?
When Mr Bashir was removed, he was replaced by a military council led by Mr Ibn Auf.
But demonstrators camping out outside army headquarters in the capital Khartoum refused to disperse, rejecting Mr Ibn Auf as an ally of Mr Bashir.
Mr Ibn Auf was head of military intelligence during the Darfur conflict and the US imposed sanctions on him in 2007.
On Friday the new leader announced he was resigning and being replaced by Gen Burhan, who is seen as a less controversial figure.
Protestors have called for the abolition of "arbitrary decisions by leaders that do not represent the people" and the detention of "all symbols of the former regime who were involved in crimes against the people".
"Until these demands are fully met, we must continue with our sit-in at the General Command of the Armed Forces," the SPA said.
On Saturday, Sudanese TV reported the resignation of Gen Gosh, head of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) which has powerful forces within the capital.
The general has been a key ally of Mr Bashir since the early 1990s and is among 17 Sudanese officials indicted for genocide, human right abuses and war crimes in the Darfur region by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2009.
The NISS has extensive powers and influence, supervising the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
More:https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-47918736
Pray for a peaceful transition back to democratic elections
Pray that those who have led unjustly or corruptly will be held accountable.
Pray that the interim leaders do not take unfair advantage of the situation.
By: Richard Pérez-Peña (New York Times, 4/9/2019)
Trying to reverse a stinging setback, Turkey’s ruling party on Tuesday demanded a redo of last week’s election for mayor of Istanbul, the country’s largest city and long a source of power and prestige for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The extraordinary stance came as it became increasingly clear that a days-long recounting of ballots would not change the result that Binali Yildirim, the candidate of Mr. Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party, known as the A.K.P., had lost to the opposition candidate, EkremImamoglu, in the March 31 election.
Mr. Erdogan’s party had already demanded a recount of spoiled ballots in all of Istanbul and a full recount in some of the city’s districts. When that did not change the result, it called for a recount of the entire Istanbul vote, which the High Election Council refused.
The latest demand now puts the High Election Council squarely on the spot and threatens to precipitate a crisis for both Istanbul and the entire country, becoming the latest test of democratic institutions already groaning under the authoritarian strains of Mr. Erdogan’s 16 years in power.
“I find the chances extremely high that the election board will accept A.K.P.’s request to repeat the elections,’’ said SonerCagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
‘‘Far from being independent, the election board, like other institutions, has fallen under Erdogan’s power, and I would say the board has thus far taken steps to facilitate Erdogan’s each and every next move,’’ he added.
He noted that the council had already allowed a recount of invalid ballots, even though the A.K.P. presented no credible evidence, other than a narrow margin, that there had been irregularities.
That has not stopped the party or the president from alleging that the irregularities were systemic in Istanbul, where the candidates are separated by less than 0.3 percent of almost nine million votes cast.
“We will use the extraordinary appeal grounds and say we want to renew the elections in Istanbul,” Ali Ihsan Yavuz, the deputy head of the party, said at a televised news conference in Ankara, the capital. “Everywhere in Istanbul, organized acts were done. That is why we called it organized irregularity.”
Mr. Erdogan himself has cast doubt on the election and pressed the case for a do-over by citing examples of American elections where the margin was so narrow that the balloting was redone.
“Irregularities are not just a few, almost entirely it is irregular,” he said on Monday of the election in Istanbul, speaking at Ataturk Airport before leaving for a visit to Moscow.
Murat Yetkin, formerly the editor in chief of Hurriyet Daily News, wrote on his blog this week that even those in the president’s circle were divided about how far to push the challenge, with a small, determined group urging the president to “put his weight for renewing Istanbul elections.”
A second, larger group of more experienced politicians have argued to accept the results, because the challenge is actually benefiting Mr. Imamoglu by elevating his stature.
Judging by Mr. Erdogan’s statement this week, the hard-liners may be carrying the day, though it may also be a way for the president ‘‘to manage the trauma,’’ said OzgurUnluhisarcikli, the Ankara director of German Marshall Fund.
‘‘This looks like more to redefine the defeat in Istanbul as if it was actually won but stolen by illegitimate means,’’ said Mr. Unluhisarcikli, who noted that a new election would actually be quite risky for the president as the economy continues to deteriorate.
“I do not believe that Erdogan actually wants to renew the elections,’’ Mr. Unluhisarcikli said. ‘‘The economic realities do not allow this. It would be a huge gamble.’’
The result in Istanbul carries enormous weight, however, and there are clear incentives for the president and his party to fight a loss.
With 15 million people, most of them on the European side of the Bosporus, Istanbul is the most populous city on the Continent and Turkey’s economic capital. It is also Mr. Erdogan’s hometown and has long been a base of support for him.
Just as important, the opposition and some analysts say, the city has become a vital source of wealth in a network of cronyism and nepotism that has benefited from the awarding of municipal contracts and the distribution of city funds to charitable foundations with links to the president’s family.
Even before he has been officially declared the winner, Mr. Imamoglu, who ran for the opposition Republican People’s Party, has vowed to open the books of the city, which Mr. Erdogan and his party have controlled since 2002, to expose long-simmering accusations of corruption.
“The result of this election is clear,’’ Mr. Imamoglu said at a televised news conference on Tuesday, when he repeated his desire to take office and start working immediately. ‘‘The streets accepted the result. You can work hard and win five years later. We have won, admit it.”
Last week, Mr. Imamoglu said that with its continuing challenges to the result of the election, Mr. Erdogan’s party was stalling for time so that it could erase City Hall records from computers before independent auditors could carry out the review he promises.
Such allegations have taken on more weight with voters as the Turkish economy falters, undercutting the president’s long record of nearly unbroken economic growth. Turkey entered recession this year, and the currency, the lira, has continued to slide amid increasing worry by investors and markets.
The opposition party also won a close mayoral election in Ankara, a result that the election council has finalized. The potential loss of Istanbul would place both the country’s political and financial capitals in opposition hands.
Taken together with rest of the results from the March 31 elections, the balloting reflected increasing discontent among voters with Mr. Erdogan, who has concentrated executive powers, carried out a sweeping purge of opponents after a failed 2016 coup, and brought a once-vibrant news media to heel.
The High Election Council must consider the request by Mr. Erdogan’s party for a new election, but the opposition party insisted that the result was legitimate and clear.
“Both legally and conscientiously, there is no obstacle to giving EkremImamoglu his mayoral certificate,” FaikOztrak, the opposition spokesman, said in televised remarks. “Mr. Imamoglu is right now the elected mayor of Istanbul, as he was on the morning of April 1.”
He pointed out that Mr. Erdogan’s A.K.P. party had won many districts in Istanbul as well as other towns across the country, results that were not being challenged.
“So when A.K.P. mayors are elected it is the national will, but when the votes go to Imamoglu, it is dubious,’’ Mr. Oztrak said. ‘‘Even crows laugh at that. They should leave the nation alone.”
Pray for Turkey government
- We continue to pray that current Turkey government would heed to the final result of March 31 election in Istanbul as well, not calling for new vote.
- Pray that Turkish people would have the final and decisive voice regarding all political matters and ruling their own country as a democracy.
- Pray that all peoples in Turkey would find the True and Eternal Hope in Jesus Christ and His Kingdom rather than any earthly government.
More:http://silkwavemission.com/board.php?board=english&command=body&no=1037
30 April – 2 May 2019
For the seventh consecutive year, Australia is calling the nations of the world to join with them in 3 days of prayer and fasting for the United States of America, from 30 April – 2 May 2019.
May 2 is America’s National Day of Prayer.
The theme is “Pray for America –LOVE ONE ANOTHER” John 13:34.
http://www.nationaldayofprayer.org
April 30 is America’s National Day of Repentance. http://www.dayofrepentance1.org
Promo YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J85mThITKyQ
Facebook Video: https://www.facebook.com/nationaldayofprayerandfasting/videos/681908912226702
President Reagan renewed the call for a National Day of Prayer in 1982 and said, “The first National Day of Prayer was proclaimed in 1775 by the Second Continental Congress. As thousands gathered in prayer in places of worship and encampments throughout the new land, the dispersed colonists found a new spirit of unity and resolve in this remarkable expression of public faith.”
Commissioner James Condon, Chairman of the National Day of Prayer & Fasting team, said,“ God has done amazing things in America since we began to pray and fast each year for the USA, but God can do greater things yet! We in Australia believe it is our turn to stand in the gap for the nation of America and pray for revival and transformation for the USA through prayer and fasting according to 2 Chronicles 7:14. The theme “LOVE ONE ANOTHER” is something that inspires us here in Australia too!
Melissa Haigh, a member of the National Day of Prayer and Fasting team, talking about the history of prayer in the USA said, “President Abraham Lincoln, on 30 April 1863 called for a Day of ‘Humiliation, Prayer and Fasting’ at a time of great national crisis. Lincoln’s prayer and faith is a great encouragement to us today. Both America and Australia need to come back to God in repentance and humility.”
Ps Warwick Marsh, also from the National Day of Prayer and Fasting team, said, “America and Australia need revival and reformation. We need more of JESUS. We invite you and the nations of the world to join with us in three days of prayer and fasting for the USA, that JESUS would be magnified.”
James Condon | Melissa Haigh |Warwick Marsh
National Day of Prayer & Fasting. http://www.nationaldayofprayer.org.au
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nationaldayofprayerandfasting
The Great Exchange - Terry R Bone
01 May 2019
The Great Exchange - Passing the baton between generations of World Shapers - by Terry R Bone
Thanks to the kindness of a friend and colleague of IPC's we are delighted to be bringing our readers access to this further free resource!
Here is an introduction written by Terry...
This book is about making great transitions in life.
There is something called an exchange zone in track and field relay races. It’s a well-marked space on the track in which the baton must be passed from one runner to the next. In that zone, a lot has to happen in a short period of time. This seemed to me like the perfect metaphor for transitions. We all pass through ‘exchange zones’ in life. These are meant to be a place where desires are fulfilled and destinies are transferred. Time spent in exchange zones is brief compared to the entire race. We ought to know what to do before we get there as there’s rarely enough time to adequately absorb all we need to know once we get there. As the saying goes, ‘we must take advantage of the opportunity of a lifetime during the lifetime of the opportunity’.
As a Life Coach and Leadership Consultant, I often walk with people through some of the most important transitions of their lives. Typically these are talented young leaders in the ministry or business world who are looking for both a plan and a person to walk with them while entering the next phase of their life calling. My wife, Melissa, and I have also written and spoken extensively on the topic of ‘family blessing’, the practice of giving Spiritual blessings to the ones we love most.
At some point I realized that a common challenge was present in every situation. Parents who desire to pass on Spiritual blessings to future generations, leaders of a ministry or business who want to set up the next leader for success, and aspiring leaders waiting for their turn to shine, all need to master the art of transition. This involves more than just different people ‘taking turns’ doing the same thing. A successful transition includes a baton transfer. In real life, the baton represents the transfer of knowledge, wisdom, authority and even Spiritual gifts between current leaders and those who are called to be next in line.
So I created a couple of messages on how to ‘pass the baton’ between two generations of leaders. Everywhere I shared these messages, people kept asking for the notes. It was time to start the process of writing a book. I spent a couple more years making additional notes and collecting quotes. I sought the perspective of some outstanding young leaders within my community in order to broaden my perspective. I also served as an Interim Pastor for several churches in the midst of leadership transitions.
After all this, I hired a writing coach who helped me to distill a thousand pages of loosely connected notes into a more concise and compelling for-mat. I trust that the result is an easy to read book that addresses important questions on this important topic.
If you find yourself currently in an exchange zone, may you receive practi-cal guidance as you read the pages that follow. If not, then now is the right time to bank this knowledge for a future date. Either way, I pray the Holy Spirit will illuminate the truths you need to ensure that you make a great transition when the time is right.
DOWNLOAD the FULL PDF HERE
Focus: The Power of People Group Thinking, a Practical Resource for Reaching the Unreached
If you have a heart for prayer and mission for the fulfillment of the Great Commission, this book is written for you!
It has been put together for followers of Jesus who share His heartbeat for the peoples of the world. It is designed for you if you want to see His love, justice, and salvation begin to operate within a particular group of people for whom you are specially concerned.
If you are a missionary, an evangelist, a pastor, or a lay person who wants to better understand your target audience in order to have a greater impact, this book can help you. It will give you the tools to develop a ministry strategy that, coupled with Spirit-led prayer, will be relevant to the people you are trying to reach. Focus! will enable you to both pray and communicate the Gospel with new effectiveness and greater response. It will assist you to design ministry outreaches and programs that the Spirit of God can use to move a whole unreached group toward the salvation and social well-being He so deeply desires for them.
The author, John Robb, who serves as chairman of the IPC has devoted his life to both prayer and mission initiatives in more than 100 countries for over 50 years. Focus! went through three printings, was translated into over 20 languages, and has been used by many involved in cross-cultural missions around the world. Feel free to download it and also to share it with others who have an interest in making Christ known to those who still do not know Him.
Free Download available HERE
30 Day Prayer Guides for the Muslim World
01 May 2019
The 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World began in 1993 with a group of Christians who felt inspired to challenge the way they understood Muslim people. What if they saw Muslims in the same way God does?
WHAT IS IT AND WHY?
The 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World, is an international movement that began in 1993. It calls the church to make a deliberate but respectful effort to learn about, pray for and reach out to our world’s Muslim neighbors. It coincides annually with the important Islamic month of religious observation — Ramadan, a time of the year when Muslims are much more deeply aware of spiritual matters.
While Media sound bites about Islamic extremism can too easily incite anger, fear and even hatred towards Muslims, we seek to resist this temptation to generalize, and instead, resolve to respond and pray with the mind and heart of Christ.
Join the millions of Christians around the world, and churches and ministries from many denominations, who regularly participate in this largest ongoing prayer focus on the Muslim world. A new full-color prayer guide booklet — available each year in both adult and kids versions — is a proven tool to help Christians to understand and to persistently pray for Muslim neighbors and nations.
There's still time to get your booklets before Ramadan!
Click Here:https://www.30daysprayer.com/
Easter service at music festival
25 Apr 2019
The reporter from the LA Times was not sure what to make of Kanye West’s Easter morning church service at the Coachella Valley music festival. describing it as ‘a new-age Baptist church revival’. The service began shortly after 9.30 am. West arrived dressed in violet-magenta hues - with his hair dyed to match. What unfolded was a nearly two-hour celebration of gospel music, which has played a major influence on his creative achievements. He was supported by hundreds of singers, dancers, and a full orchestra. His part in the service was minimised, with no sermonising or rapping. He allowed the choir and band to be the main focus as he was caught up in the worshipful atmosphere of the moment. West transformed a secular festival at Coachella into a black church experience.
Passion for the Nation on local elections
25 Apr 2019
‘Thank You, Father, for those who have served this nation in many capacities across the years; but now this is a new day. Lord, You positioned leaders of ten, leaders of hundreds and leaders of thousands, and You prepared and anointed leaders before their time of service, So, in the Name of Jesus, we call forth across this nation, the leaders You have appointed for this season. We declare they will be positioned and connected for Your voice to be heard, recognised, and active within every place of influence and gateway of society. We declare that those chosen and appointed by you for the next season will stand strong and secure with new levels of revelation and understanding. We declare they will listen, speak and act according to the words and strategies of the Spirit of God, causing them to grow in favour with God and man.’ For the full declaration, click the ‘More’ button.