He is from the Christian part of the Sudan and his stories are heartbreaking on many levels.
Yes, for decades the Muslims of northern Sudan waged war against the Christians and animists of the south, while the world ignored the situation. That region has been forgotten again because of Darfur—but I think there was talk a few years ago of autonomy which might have led to independence. I don’t know if that is still a possibility—could hardly be worse than continued subjection to the racist Muslim government in Khartoum.