Church leader and Anglican Alliance call for immediate support for civilians in Sudan

From:

http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/news.cfm/2011/5/25/ACNS4870

Posted On : May 25, 2011 12:45 PM | Posted By : Admin ACO
ACNS: ACNS4870
Related Categories: ACO - Anglican Alliance Sudan

By Laura Payne, Anglican Alliance

The Anglican Alliance has received reports of civilians fleeing from the contested Abyei area in Sudan after Northern troops swept through the town over the weekend. Civilians, many of whom fled on foot, headed further south, towards towns which are also being deserted amidst fears of an imminent attack.

A local church leader sent the following report from the region:

“Sudanese forces attacked Abyei town on Saturday at around 8pm. The whole town was completely set on fire and approximately 20,000 people fled towards the bush and towns in Warrap State. The situation on the ground is worsening. Displaced people and children are seriously affected living under trees in Agok. Civilians are down on streets and in bushes, no food, no shelter, no water and no medical assistance.

A local school has accommodated 2,800 displaced people despite the fact that there is very limited space for such a huge number of people. There is no other option, the deteriorating conditions force us to accept them in. The majority are still under trees with children, sick people and elderly people. People with communicable diseases are forced to sleep together with healthy people.

We are now calling for urgent support for civilians, who are lying on the ground without medical attention, shelter, food and water. We are left no choice but to raise the voice of the voiceless for relief assistance”.

The humanitarian situation, already critical, was compounded last night by heavy rainfall and the cancellation of a planned food distribution due to lack of security.

A fertile area claimed by both the North and the South, Abyei was due to vote on its future during a referendum on independence in the South earlier this year. The vote was postponed because of disagreements over eligibility and fears over increasing tension. Continuing ambiguity over the town’s final status has contributed to ongoing friction and conflict.

The Anglican Alliance, which brings together the Anglican family of churches and agencies for development, relief and advocacy, has received requests for advice on how Anglicans can respond to the humanitarian need. Sally Keeble, director, recommends Anglicans contact the government departments in their country with responsibility for foreign affairs and international aid. Ask them, preferably by email, to press for an end to the violence and to support appeals for emergency relief for the victims of this conflict. Then contact your own elected representative where you live and ask them to raise the issue publically and with government.

Anglicans who would like to donate money to the relief efforts in this emergency are encouraged to do so through the Anglican aid agency where they live.

Anglican are also asked to provide prayers of support and sympathy to those who need assistance.

Over the coming days, the Alliance will liaise with partner agencies over the crisis.

Laura Payne
Anglican Alliance
Office: +44 020 73133928
Email: laura.payne@aco.org

Renewed Unrest in Abyei Threatens Sudanese Peace

From: http://www.er-d.org/SudanUnrestMay2011

Unrest in the town of Abyei, situated on the border between Sudan and the soon-to-be independent state of Southern Sudan, is raising concerns locally and internationally about a possible reprise of the civil war that ravaged the country for decades between 1955 and 2005.

Northern troops invaded Abyei on May 21, taking over the city and causing an estimated 20,000 Southern Sudanese residing there to flee. Burning and looting are reported to be ongoing, in spite of calls from the United Nations Mission in Sudan and members of the UN Security Council for Khartoum to rein in its troops and establish control over armed elements operating in the area. Southern Sudanese officials are calling the invasion and occupation of Abyei illegal, and protesters are rallying in the Southern capital of Juba.

Juba is also the seat of the Episcopal Church of Sudan (ECS), headed by the Most Rev. Daniel Deng Bul. The ECS has been very active in responding to the needs of internally displaced people (IDPs) and returning refugees during all stages of the peace negotiations and the 2011 referendum on independence. Episcopal Relief & Development has reached out to Archbishop Deng Bul to offer assistance in this time of renewed turmoil.

The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) of 2005 put an official end to the North-South conflict and mandated the referendum on the secession of Southern Sudan that was held in January 2011. Although the referendum passed by a wide margin – Southern Sudan’s independence will take effect on July 9, 2011 – conflict in Abyei prevented voting from taking place there, and the status of Abyei was left to be decided at a later date.

Episcopal Relief & Development stands with the ECS during this difficult time, and encourages prayers for those living in the midst of this unrest.

Sudan’s churches prepare for two states by affirming "unity in Jesus Christ"

Sudan’s churches prepare for two states by affirming "unity in Jesus Christ"

Posted On : May 18, 2011 2:15 PM | Posted By : Admin ACO
ACNS: ACNS4862
Related Categories: Sudan

By ACNS staff

As Sudan waits for the birth of two nation states following its referendum, Sudan’s Christians have issued a strong statement of solidarity and unity.

Leaders of ten Christian traditions in the country have signed their name to the communiqué recently issued following the General Assembly of the Sudan Council of Churches.

In an effort to reinforce that the creating of two countries will not divide the Christian community there the communiqué issued by the SCC states:

“With the prospects of two nations emerging from the old Sudan, we affirm our unity as the Church of Jesus Christ, both in the North and in the South. Being one body of Christ, we are one people and we are indivisible. We have one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all. Our divine mandate exceeds geographical and political boundaries.”

The statement also calls for freedom of worship, movement, expression and residence in the two states and requests that the government of South Sudan ensure the security and the protection of the civil population caught in the crossfire between the militias and the government forces.

The full communiqué is below:

THE COMMUNIQUE OF THE SUDAN COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
18TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
MAY 9TH TO 11TH, 2011
JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN

COME, LET US REBUILD… AND WE WILL NO LONGER LIVE IN DISGRACE (NEHEMIAH 2:17B)

An Urgent Call to Rebuild

We, the delegates of the Sudan Council of Churches (SCC) General Assembly together with our partners and other participants, met in Juba from 9th to 11th of May, 2011 to pray and to reflect on the prevailing situation in our country. In our reflection, we were encouraged that although the way ahead of us maybe hard and difficult, God will see us through. We were exhorted to trust God for the future and to fix our eyes on him. He has been faithful to us as a people and we deeply thank him for what he has done, what he is doing and what he will do in us and through us. We are grateful for the attendance and input of the Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs and on the interim constitution of South Sudan. We were also honoured by the presence of the Presidential Advisor for Religious Affairs. We give God all the praise, all the honour and all the worship!

As we reflect on the time to rebuild we note the following:

• We look back with sincere gratitude to God for the overwhelming success of the South Sudan referendum in January this year and for the peaceful conduct of Popular Consultation in Blue Nile and gubernatorial elections in Southern Kordofan, whose results are yet to be announced. We call for peace in South Kordofan no matter what the results of the election will be.
  
• We look forward with faith for the birth of two states on July 9th. Our prophetic statement in March 2010 that Sudan shall never be the same again after the referendum has been fulfilled. The referendum event has passed, but the process of nation building has yet to start. It is now time to rebuild, so that we no longer live in disgrace.
  
• With the prospects of two nations emerging from the old Sudan, we affirm our unity as the Church of Jesus Christ, both in the North and in the South. Being one body of Christ, we are one people and we are indivisible. We have one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all. Our divine mandate exceeds geographical and political boundaries.
  
• We call for inclusive and open constitutional processes both in the North and in the South. While acknowledging the electoral mandates that the ruling parties in the North and in the South have, we still call for these inclusive and open constitutional processes because the interests of the nations are at stake and these interests are bigger than any one political body or group.
  
• We call for freedom of movement, freedom of worship, freedom of expression, freedom of work and freedom of residence in the two states after July 9th. We also call upon the two states to respect, protect and guarantee minority rights including religious rights as enshrined in the interim constitutions and will be enshrined in the permanent constitutions.
  
• We are concerned with the increasing waves of military activities, defections and counter-defections in the south as we approach the declaration of independence. It is our belief that the presidential amnesty offered to all armed groups in October 2010 is still holding and all those concerned should accordingly take advantage of this. Consequently, we call upon all armed groups to lay down their arms and come to the negotiating table. The way of peace is always the best.
  
• We call upon the government of South Sudan to ensure the security and the protection of the civil population caught in the crossfire between the militias and the government forces. We expect the government forces, now transiting from Guerilla army to modern and conventional army, not to engage in criminal activities such as looting, rape and extra-judicial killing and killing of the innocent civilians in the process of dealing with armed groups’ leaders and their forces. The end never justifies the means.
  
• We call for peaceful settlement of the Abyei question within the framework of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). The people of Abyei must be given the freedom and the opportunity to decide their destiny. In this process, we urge the UN, the USA, the EU, the AU and the IGAD to arbitrate between the NCP and SPLM on the Abyei question. As the political tension continues to rise in Abyei, we urge the partners to the CPA to avoid warlike inflammatory language and instead resolve the question timely and peacefully. We see no need to incite violence in Abyei. We know that violence in all its forms always breeds violence, and violence will never be the way to settle grievances.
  
• We call for the peaceful resolution of the Darfur problem.
  
• We call upon the International Community, the Government of Sudan, the Government of South Sudan and all people of good will to assist in settling the Internally Displaced Persons/returnees. The suffering of these children of God as they try to find shelter, food and basic daily needs is our concern and should be for all people of conscience.

Conclusion

We recommit ourselves to the ministry of justice, peace and reconciliation in our country. In this regard, we resolve to roll out once again the people to people peace process in our communities to the effect that peace will prevail truly at all levels. As we engage in this noble task, we call upon our political leaders in the North and in the South to refrain from making provocative statements and instead preach peace, harmony and good neighbourliness among all our people. We all need peace even if we become two states.

We believe in the destiny of our people and we encourage all our people to live in peace as they endeavour to reach it. We have no doubt God will bless us. He began a good work in our country and he will bring it to completion. This is our faith!

Signed on 11th May 2011


Fr. Joshua Michael Bp.
Catholic Church

Ismail Abudigin
Episcopal Church of Sudan

Rev. Peter Makuac
Presbyterian Church of Sudan

Bp. Michael Taban
Sudan Pentecostal Church

Rev. Abraham Nul
Sudan Interior Church

Rev. Moses Gatkouth
Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church

Fr. Bishay Alantony
Coptic Orthodox Church

Pastor Barnabas Mattias
Sudan Church of Christ

Elder John Daniel
Greek Catholic Church

Bp. James Lagos
Africa Inland Church

Bp. Ezekiel Kondo
Chair, Sudan Council of Churches

Rev. Ramadan Chan Liol
General Secretary, SCC