In Nairobi, Kenya, in January 2005, a peace agreement was signed officially ending a second civil war in Sudan. Although exact figures are impossible to calculate, around two million Sudanese civilians were killed and four million displaced in the twenty-two year conflict. The Arab-dominated northern government, in its attempt to Islamicize Sudan, was deliberate in its efforts to depopulate the predominantly Christian south and squelch southern Sudanese "rebels," represented by the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA). Crimes against humanity were committed by both sides.

Thousands of men, women, and children who were not killed directly in the conflict died of starvation as they lost their families, homes, land, and villages. Emmanuel Jal was a child of seven when he lost his mother and became a child soldier in Sudan's brutal civil war. Now, he sings about his experiences.

War Child, directed by Christian Karim Chrobog, is an eye-opening and inspiring documentary that details Jal's journey from a child with little hope of a future to a man with a powerful message of redemption. In bold hip-hop songs that he performs to audiences all over the world, Jal recounts his own experiences and explores the problems that have plagued Africa for generations. In his music, Jal credits Emma McCune, a British aid worker, with having provided him with a way out of the war. McCune helped smuggle Jal, who had nearly died of starvation along with dozens of other young comrades, from Sudan to Nairobi, where he received an education and, eventually, the resources to start a career in music. McCune, who gained notoriety during the war after she married Sudanese guerrilla leader Riek Machar, is the subject of the book Emma's War, by journalist Deborah Scroggins. A film based on the book and directed by Ridley Scott is currently in production.

Jal's music is driven by a distinctly Christian perspective, with songs on his 2005 debut album like "Lord I Thank You" and "Jesus By My Side." A new album, Warchild, released in May 2008, features edgier topics and a more polished musical product. In the chorus to the song "Stronger," Jal paraphrases one of Nietzsche's famous quotes: "What didn't kill me can only make me stronger." This is, of course, a great way to sum up Jal's personal testimony, even if the words were originally spoken by an atheist who had decided God was dead.

More important, perhaps, is what Jal is choosing to do with his life after being saved from almost certain destruction. "Music has got so much power," he says in the movie War Child, "to strengthen you and forget you are small&ellips; We cannot change things by ourselves. We need a supernatural power to help us." After reuniting with family members in Sudan after almost twenty years and maintaining strong contact with young people all over Africa, Jal continues to experience healing and transformation in his life and is being used by God in mighty ways to encourage and inspire others through music.