SLAVIC GOSPEL ASSOCIATION

Armed Conflict Breaks Out in Georgia

International leaders are voicing grave concern in the wake of armed conflict that broke out late last week between Russia and neighboring Georgia. The Russian government said that 2,000 people have been killed since Friday, but these numbers have not yet been independently confirmed. Russian president Dmitri Medvedev has announced a ceasefire for the time being, with certain conditional demands being placed on the Georgian side.

The conflict began on Thursday when troops from Georgia — a former Soviet republic — began an offensive to re-establish control over a breakaway region called South Ossetia. After Georgia launched the offensive to retake the region, Russian forces responded swiftly and overwhelmingly, pouring tanks and troops over the border into South Ossetia. They have also reportedly conducted numerous airstrikes against Georgian troops and facilities. The situation is serious, and there is a genuine danger of the conflict widening into a larger scale war.

U.S. President George W. Bush and other Western leaders are sharply criticizing Russia’s actions, calling them disproportionate and demanding an immediate cease-fire. Meanwhile, Russian leaders blamed the Georgian leadership for the outbreak of violence, and accused Georgian forces of killing peacekeepers and South Ossetian civilians.

Georgia borders the Black Sea between Turkey and Russia, and was ruled by Moscow for most of the two centuries preceding the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union. Both South Ossetia and another Georgian region called Abkazia have largely run their own affairs without international recognition since a brief war they fought to split from Georgia in the early 1990s. Both regions have a majority of ethnic Russians and have enjoyed Moscow’s backing and protection.

While SGA does not currently sponsor any ministry in Georgia, we do have SGA-sponsored church planters in neighboring North Ossetia, which is in Russia. Should the conflict widen, it is possible that refugees coming into this region could create a humanitarian crisis. Please pray with us for peace to be re-established between all parties in this conflict. Pray especially for the protection of evangelical churches as they seek to be a voice for peace and reconciliation. Above all, pray that the Lord will use this tragic situation for His glory, opening doors for the Gospel to be proclaimed to thousands of grieving people.

If you would like to contribute toward help for the refugees from South Ossetia and the other regions affected by this conflict, you can do so here.