South Sudan double displacement: first from conflict and now from floods

ACNS: http://www.aco.org/acns/news.cfm/2012/10/11/ACNS5204

First hand information on the emergency in Unity State, South Sudan has come from Bishop Gattek from the Benitu Area Diocese, of the Episcopal Church of Sudan.

Several weeks ago, the Alliance posted an appeal on behalf of Bishop Gattek to help returnees from North Sudan and other nations, internally displaced people and the host community who are still in great needs of humanitarian aid. On top of this already difficult situation the rainy season has affected near 50,000 thousand people who have been forced to flee again. Waterborne diseases and snake bites are an immediate concern for the church, as well as the continuous movement of returnees and refugees from Sudan.

Episcopal Relief and Development has given a generous donation of US15.000 to help communities in Unity State. The Northern American agency has a long-standing partnership with the Sudanese Development and Relief Agency (SUDRA) of the Church of Sudan and is working toward implementing risk reduction activities in different Dioceses.

According to United Nations Organisation for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs(Humanitarian bulletin 24 – 30 Sep 2012) the number of people affected in South Sudan by the seasonal flooding between June and September has tripled since last year up from 79.000 in 2011 to 258.000 so far this year.

Eight out of nine counties in Unity State have been flooded according to the UN agency (see map)although it does not give the exact number of the people affected. Bishop Gattek provided the Anglican Alliance with more details regarding the villages affected by county which can be seenhere.

Bishop Gattek asks Anglicans around the Communion for prayers and support for communities that have suffered so much and are trying to find ways forward in the new state of South Sudan.

Returnees in South Sudan in need of our help to restart their lives

Anglican Communion News Service: http://www.aco.org/acns/news.cfm/2012/10/3/ACNS5197

After decades of conflict and displacement, returnees from Sudan to South Sudan are facing huge difficulties to restart their lives. According to the United Nation Office for the Organisation of Humanitarian Affairs, around 123.000 people have returned this year (Humanitarian Bulletin 3 – 9 September).

Despite the raising of hopes for going back home, the situation for people arriving is very complicated. The relief and development coordinator of the Diocese of Rejaf, Episcopal Church of Sudan, Mr Bullen Pitya, explains how returnees could not bring along their things, as they were flown from Sudan to Juba with minimum personal belongings.

They have been temporarily accommodated in a transit camp at Kabu, at the outskirts of Juba town, in the compound of a Teachers’ Training Institute. The returnees are expected to continue their journey and resettle in their villages, or towns of origin. However, as many of them had lived in Khartoum for a long time, over a period of 21 years of war, they do not seem to know their original villages.

Returnees have been asked to vacate the installation of the training institute within few weeks.  The Central Equatoria State has provided a new land, the Kuda village in the north of Juba town, for their permanent resettlement. The International Organisation for Migration is providing the transport to their new home but they do not have anything to restart their life since they left all behind.

The diocese of Rejaf is asking for support to help South Sudanese returnees who are in urgent need. They are planning to implement the following plan:
Objective of the response: To provide a package of cooking utensils, canvas and hand tools for each of 200 returnee families to enable them resettle in Kuda on their own plots allocated by the government of Central Equatoria State.

Targeted area: Resettlement village at Kuda
Targeted community: Returnees from Khartoum flown to Juba by IOM.
Number of beneficiaries: 200 families.
Time frame: Six months from August 2012 to February 2013.
Who is responsible for implementing the response: Relief Team of Rejaf Diocese comprising of Diocesan Secretary, MU Coordinator and Relief and Development Programme Coordinator.
Proposed budget:

Please set the items/ material/resources in which you are planning to spend the money	Number of items	Cost
Hand tools for menpickaxe, shovel, wheel barrow, hoe and panga per family	200 sets of 6 items	455per setX200=91,000
Cooking Utensils- large aluminum  cooking pot, small aluminum cooking pot, 4 plates, jerrycan, plastic basin, 2 water cups	200sets of 10 items	306 per set x200=61,200
Canvas 6 metres by 5 metres –  2 pieces per Family	400 pieces	400 x75=30,000
Hiring stores	Lum sum	7,000
Local Transport	Lum sum	2,000
Handling of materials	Lum sum	1,000
Sub-total costs for materials		192,200
Project Monitoring and Supervision (PMS) costs	15%	28,830
Overhead costs	5%	9,610
Total Project Costs in South Sudanese Pound		230,640
Total Project Costs in USD ($1=SSP 5)		46,128

The Sudanese Relief and Development Agency SUDRA which is part of the Church in Sudan will receive and manage the donations to this appeal and monitor the movement of resources. If you would like to support this appeal you can donate to:

Beneficiary bank: KCB Bank (Kenya Commercial Bank Ltd.)
Beneficiary Bank branch: Buluk
Beneficiary bank account number: 5500036564
Name on bank account: ECS SUDRA
SWIFT code: KCBLKENX

Bank address: Ministries Road, Buluk, Juba, South Sudan; also Kenya Commercial Bank, Ltd., P.O. Box 48400.0010, Moi Avenue, Nairobi, Kenya

The Diocese of Rejaf will provide updates about the evolution of the situation and how resources have been used to respond to this emergency. The Anglican Alliance will post the report back on this appeal.

Anglicans around the world have been helping communities affected by the civil war in Sudan and South Sudan. The North American Episcopal Relief and Development and the Australian Anglican Board of Mission work in partnership to support the health service provided by the church in Sudan. They also provide emergency relief though SUDRA and have permanent appeals to help the affected communities and build the local capacity of the church.

Fleeing from genocide to South Sudan

Yida Refugee Camp from the air. Photo/Robin Denney

[Episcopal News Service] Yida, the largest refugee camp in South Sudan, stretches for miles. It is home to more than 64,000 of the 206,000 refugees from the Republic of Sudan who have fled the bombing and violent attacks against civilians by the Khartoum government since June 2011.Yida camp itself was bombed Nov. 10, 2011, killing 12 refugees.

Only 20 kilometers from the volatile border between Sudan and South Sudan, Yida camp sees a constant stream of nearly 200 new refugees a day, coming from the Nuba Mountains region (South Kordofan State) in Sudan. Rebel groups in Darfur, South Kordofan, and Blue Nile states have united against the Khartoum government’s army, Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), whichindiscriminately attacks rebels and civilians in those areas.

“They kill everybody, Christians and Muslims. They burn houses, churches, and schools. They kill people. They drop bombs. Just two days ago soldiers came to my area [in the Nuba Mountains] and killed one person and burned houses,” said the Rev. Ameka Yousif, a pastor who has lived in Yida camp since February. “[In the Nuba Mountains] when people see the planes, they run and hide. Bombing is happening almost every day.”

Read the rest here 

To people of the Diocese:

Dear friends in Christ of the Diocese of New Jersey,

One year ago, on July 9, 2011, the human family witnessed the birth of a new nation, South Sudan.

Yet, today, as we celebrate the anniversary of the birth of South Sudan, the Sudan Committee of the Diocese of New Jersey....charged by Bishop Councell and Diocesan Convention of 2008 to provide a passionate, Gospel-based witness for the Episcopal Church of Sudan and the people of Sudan.....desires to call the attention of our Diocesan Family and Congregations to the terrible conditions of war, famine, flight of refugees and the human devastation in the border areas between Sudan and South Sudan, the struggle for peace and justice in both nations, and the courageous protest movement emerging in the nation of Sudan (North Sudan).

We remind the Diocese that the President of Sudan, Gen Bashire is sought by the International Criminal Court for war crimes in Darfur/Sudan and Bashire's government has unleashed a bombing offensive in the border areas of Sudan and South Sudan which is indiscriminate and has resulted in considerable loss of life among civilians.

The New York Times and other American media has covered this aggressive, war-like policy of the Government of Sudan--and this policy of war-like aggression has been utterly condemned by world governments and human rights agencies.

For example, the Diocese of Kadugli of the Episcopal Church of Sudan, in the Nuba Mountains, is in total disarray, its churches destroyed, its people, men, women and children-- murdered and its people made refugees by the thousands;  the Bishop of Kadugli, Bishop Andudu has fled to South Sudan in Juba---which is the location of the Archbishop of Sudan and the center of the Episcopal Church of Sudan.

The Sudan Committee calls on our sister and brother Christians in the Diocese of New Jersey to:

*Pray for the Episcopal Church of Sudan and the people of Sudan.

*Pray for accountability and justice in Sudan on the part of the United Nations and the United States.

*Read news coverage and follow unfolding events in Sudan and South Sudan--by the NY Times, the BBC, The Sudan Tribune, and Al-jazeera.

*Follow the Web site of the Episcopal Diocese of Sudan (www.sudan.anglican.org<http://www.sudan.anglican.org>) and the Blog of the Sudan Committee of the Diocese of New Jersey (www.newjersey.anglican.org--under<http://www.newjersey.anglican.org--under> "Outreach").

*Consider a gift of immediate assistance to the Church of Sudan through Episcopal Relief and Development for short-term immediate aid.  There is a massive refugee problem and starvation danger at present in the border areas of Sudan and South Sudan.

*Consider a gift to the Theological Education Scholarship Fund of the Sudan Committee of the Diocese of New Jersey--seeking to provide desperate aid to empower the voice of the Episcopal Church of Sudan and its theological schools in Sudan and South Sudan-- through its clergy leadership in these times of crisis--when the Church of Sudan is in critical need of prophetic voices for justice and peace.
Checks to our Theological Scholarship Fund to the Episcopal Church of Sudan can be made to "Sudan Committee Scholarship Fund, Diocese of New Jersey, 808 W. State Street, Trenton, NJ 08618.

Thank you for your kind and compassionate consideration, in the name of Jesus who brings Good News to the Oppressed for this response to the human rights crisis in Sudan and South Sudan.

Faithfully,

The Sudan Committee of the Diocese of New Jersey

Hugh Brown, Jane Brady, Marcus Gales, Alicia Graham-Hicks, Deborah Piggins, Martin Oguike, Nancy Hite Speck, and Sharon Sutton"

Archbishop of Canterbury declares "Peace is the only option" for Sudan and South Sudan

Posted On : July 6, 2012 10:33 AM | Posted By : Webmaster
ACNS: ACNS5142
Related Categories: Lambeth  Sudan

“Peace is the only option which can allow the flourishing of South Sudan and its neighbour Sudan,” the Archbishop of Canterbury has warned.

Speaking on the first anniversary of the independence of South Sudan, the Archbishop of Canterbury has called for urgent efforts to resolve outstanding differences between South Sudan and its neighbour Sudan. 

The first anniversary of the new nation of South Sudan gives an opportunity for renewed effort towards achieving peaceful relations between Sudan and South Sudan. The new nation was created with the support of both South Sudan and the Republic of Sudan, and the well-being of both countries depends on their mutual co-operation.  I strongly endorse the joint appeal which the Anglican and Roman Catholic Archbishops of Juba have made on this significant anniversary.  As the two archbishops have warned, the current impasse is damaging to both nations.  I welcome the vision which the Sudanese Church has set before us of “two nations at peace with each other, co-operating to make best use of their God-given resources, promoting free interaction between their citizens, living side by side in solidarity and mutual respect.”

Read more at:http://www.aco.org/acns/news.cfm/2012/7/6/ACNS5142

Episcopal Church in Sudan makes new appeal for people in conflict-torn Malakal area

From ACNS:

Anglican Alliance’s South Sudan Appeal

Bishop John Gattek from the Diocese of Malakal, Church of Sudan is calling for humanitarian relief for communities in the Benitu area of Unity state in South Sudan.

Unity State area is on the border of South Sudan and Sudan where tension is permanent due to lack of agreement regarding boundary issues and the way in which valuable resources are shared. There is a humanitarian crisis due to the conditions in which people have to live. Among them are returnees from North Sudan and other nations, internally displaced people and the host community.  

You can read more about this situation in the Humanitarian Bulletins (4 – 10 of June) - (11- 17 of June) issued by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

They are in desperate need of water and sanitation supplies, food, health care, shelter and educational facilities. Humanitarian operation has also been affected by the rainy season that limits road access to settlements and connection to the capital Juba. In addition, vital infrastructure was destroyed by the war as was the church building in the Bentiu area.

Bishop Gattek is asking for help to provide the following assistance to the communities in the areas of Rubkoana, Mayom, Abiemnom, and Panrieng:

Food items: cooking oil, lentils tints, salt, etc

Non-food items: plastic sheets, blankets, buckets/basins, agricultural tools, Arabic and English bibles, drugs and medical equipment, mosquito’s nets and fuel

The Sudanese Relief and Development Agency SUDRA which is part of the Church in Sudan will receive and manage the donations to this appeal and monitor the movement of resources. If you would like to support this appeal you can donate to:

Beneficiary bank: KCB Bank (Kenya Commercial Bank Ltd.)
Beneficiary Bank branch: Buluk
Beneficiary bank account number: 5500036564
Name on bank account: ECS SUDRA
SWIFT code: KCBLKENX
Bank address: Ministries Road, Buluk, Juba, South Sudan; also Kenya Commercial Bank, Ltd., P.O. Box 48400.0010, Moi Avenue, Nairobi, Kenya

Anglicans around the world have been helping communities affected by the civil war in Sudan and South Sudan. The North American Episcopal Relief and Development and the Australian Anglican Board of Mission work in partnership to support the health service provided by the church in Sudan. They also provide emergency relief though SUDRA and have permanent appeals to help the affected communities and build the local capacity of the church.

Sudanese official says Juba wants to bring border dispute before international justice

From the Sudan Tribune found here: http://www.sudantribune.com/Sudanese-official-says-Juba-wants,42869

June 9, 2012 (KHARTOUM) — South Sudan wants the Addis Ababa talks to fail because they intend to resort to the international arbitration, said Sudanese defense minister and head of the country’s delegation to the security talks in Addis Ababa.

Sudan’s defense minister Abdel Rahim Hussein (L).

Abdel Rahim Hussein, was speaking to the media in a press conference held at defense ministry in Khartoum after his return from Addis Ababa on Friday. The TV aired press conference was also attended by other members of his delegation including interior minister Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid.

The talks of the Joint Political and Security Mechanism (JPSM) ended without agreement as the South Sudanese delegation said that a buffer zone the parties agreed to establish should be implemented based on a map including ten disputed instead of four previously consented by the two sides.

"South Sudan’s negotiating strategy aims to reach the date determined by UN Security Council without concluding an agreement because they intend to move to the international arbitration," Abdel Rahim hinted.

The UN resolution 2046, which was adopted on 2 May, gave the two parties three months to reach an agreement over the outstanding issues. It also threatened to impose sanctions if they fail to comply with the decision.

Further the African mediator will be asked to formulate a package of proposals on all the outstanding issues and to presented to the Security Council.

The minister said that juba want s to impose a new reality in the region. He also said the South Sudan negotiating delegation gave an impression they do not have any intention to achieve peace with Sudan.

He further described as hostile the new map of South Sudan which includes for the first time some ten areas as part of the new country.

Juba wants to establish ten new "Abyei" areas, he stressed.

The minister said the only legitimate map they can consider as basis for the talks is the map upon which they signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement with the SPLM in 2005, and implemented the troops’ redeployment.

South Sudanese officials said in the past that they wanted first to secure the independence of their country before to raise new disputes with Khartoum on areas like Heglig, or Kharasana through the international justice.

They delegations have to resume talks on 19 June.

Abdel Rahim and the interior minister Ibrahim accused the American administration of supporting Juba in its negotiating policy stressing that no peace can be achieved through such expansionist ambitions.

The head of the Sudanese side stressed that Khartoum has no aggressive intentions towards the South Sudan. But warned that "if we have to defend our territory, then it is our duty," he said.

The AU High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) said in a statement put out on Friday evening that the two sides despite their difference on how to implement the demilitarised zone have agreed to cease harboring and supporting rebels opposed to each other’s regimes as well as the unconditional withdrawal of their forces from border regions.

"The JPSM will remain in session through the next weeks, to ensure compliance with the parties’ obligations under the Roadmap," partly reads the AUHIP statement.

The two countries, it added, also agreed to nominate representatives to activate the Ad Hoc Committee; a body agreed by the parties to deal with allegations and counter allegations between the two States.

The mediation stressed that the two nations also extensively discussed the geographical definition of the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone (SDBZ) and a temporary security line between the two countries.

According to the AUHIP, the parties made substantive progress on this matter with the Government of South Sudan reportedly indicating its acceptance of the AUHIP security and administrative map submitted to the parties in November 2011.

Talks between the two commenced on 29 May, with the first session involving an extraordinary meeting of the Joint Political and Security Mechanism (JPSM).

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Speech to Parliament

The full text is too long to be posted, but can be found here: http://www.sudantribune.com/IMG/pdf/Salva_Kiir_Speech_-_June_11_2012_-_Parliament.pdf

South Sudan to seek international arbitration over disputed borders

By  Salva Kiir from the Sudan Tribune

June 11, 2012 (JUBA) — South Sudan’s President, Salva Kiir informed the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) that South Sudan will seek international arbitration over the disputed border area if the ongoing talks fail.

President Salva Kiir (©Paul Banks - UNMIS)

In his speech to the National Legislature, the two chambers, on Monday President Kiir told the MPs that he is determined to not give up claims to any land south of the 1956 border.

"South Sudan has never relinquish claims to Pantou, homeland of the Panaru Dinka. So the record is clear, we also unequivocally claim Magenes-Jida, Kafia Kingi, Hafra Nahas, Kaka Tijariya, Wheatly Monroe Strip and all territories south to the 1956 border."

Kiir who accused Khartoum of "playing games" told South Sudanese lawmakers that he has written to member of the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) over the possible involvement of the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), if the ongoing post-independence discussions on the matter fail.

"We are prepared to subject our claims to scrutiny. I have now written to the members of the African Union Peace and Security Council to consider this position," he added.

Sudanese and South Sudanese delegations are expected to resume talks on 19 June over security matters particularly the creation of a buffer zone along the border.

Addis Ababa talks brokered by an African Union mediation team failed last week to finalize a deal because the two parties came with different maps.

UN Security Council adopted on 2 May an AUPSC road map to end difference between the two countries over the border and oil fees and other outstanding issues after the capture of Heglig/ Pantou by the South Sudanese army.

The road map gives the parties a three month period to end the talks and threatened to impose economic sanctions.

Last Friday after his return from the meeting of the Joint Political and Security Mechanism, in Addis Ababa, Sudanese defense minister told reporter that Juba wants to fail the talks and brings the border dispute before the international justice.

Khartoum and Juba despite the resumption of talks kept troops mobilizations and continue to carry out hostile media campaign against each other.

Salva Kiir, defended his country’s decision to halt oil production, saying it was not anger-driven, but done in practical terms to protect the interest of the people and defend the foundations of independence for which lost their lives.

"We offered almost $3bn [dollars] in assistance for Sudan [to] offset its revenue losses resulting from our independence. We paid all operating fees for oil transport. We offered to negotiate a transit fee above and beyond fair market rates," Kiir told a fully-packed assembly.

"There was no lack of generosity in our dealings with Khartoum. Even so, Sudan wanted more,” he added.

"Having exhausted all efforts of diplomacy with, we could no longer secure delivery of crude oil to buyers through the territory of Sudan," said Kiir as lawmakers applauded.

Revenues from oil, prior to the shutdown, accounted for nearly 98 percent of the South Sudan’s annual budget.

The President also briefed MPs of events that transpired during their recess period, particularly on the AUPSC communiqué, which was later adopted by the UN Security Council (UNSC) in its resolution 2046. The resolution, he said, called for the complete withdrawal of both Sudan and South Sudanese troops from the disputed oil-producing Abyei region.

According to the President, while South Sudan complied and withdrew its forces 10km away from the 1956 border, Sudan reportedly disagreed, which culminated into last week’s deadlock on the ongoing talks facilitated by the AU High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP).

The President also said his office, through the country’s Vice-President, Riek Machar is currently looking at the possibility of renewing the mandate of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UMISS), which on 9, July this year. He said more attention will be focused on the renewal of Chapter Seven mandate of the UN, a decision, which he noted was taken after a careful study.

“We are confident that the Security Council will consider our views with full respect for the sovereignty of South Sudan,” he observed.

Meanwhile, Kiir also told MPs that government has put in place a modern financial management information system as part of efforts to improve accountability and transparency all at state finance ministries in South Sudan.

The system, he noted, reportedly tracks records of all revenues generated, what goes out inform of expenditures and these are electronically reflected within the finance ministry at the central level. Such a system, he added, will “discourage fraud, waste and abuse."

Last month, the President wrote to 75 former and current officials asking them to account for at least $4bn believed to have been misappropriated in dubious dealings, or directly stolen from government coffers. The South Sudan leader also wrote to eight governments in various countries seeking assistance to recover these funds.

Starving Its Own Children (From NY Times)

From http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/03/opinion/sunday/kristof-starving-its-own-children.html?hp

by By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF Published: June 2, 2012

Dominic Nahr/Magnum Photos

Two hungry children in Sudan’s Nuba Mountains, sleeping inside a cave for protection from government bombers.

IN THE NUBA MOUNTAINS, Sudan PERHAPS hundreds of thousands of people here have no food and are reduced to eating leaves and insects, as Sudan’s government starves and bombs its own people in the Nuba Mountains. Children are beginning to die.
“Yes, my children may die,” Katum Tutu, a 28-year-old mother, told me. She recently lost her 2-year-old daughter, Maris, to starvation and has nothing to feed her four remaining children. “I think about it every day, but there’s nothing I can do,” she said.
This week will mark a year since Sudan began its brutal counterinsurgency campaign in the Nuba Mountains, intended to crush a rebel force that is popular here and controls much of the region. Sudan has expelled aid workers, blocked food shipments and humanitarian aid, and dropped bombs haphazardly — and almost daily — on its own citizens.
Read the rest at http://nyti.ms/L9Fn9p

From the Episcopal Public Policy Network

"But what do you do to cope?" I asked my new friend, Anne, who coordinates refugee programming in Kenya and lived in the Dadaab refugee camp for several years.

Anne looked up at me with a child-like grin and sparkle in her eye.

"In Dadaab, we dance. Every night, we dance."

I saw this same resilience thriving across South Sudan, amidst the conflict, poverty, and desperate need for development -- thriving over the daily trials. I saw it in the young woman, gracefully carrying gallons of water overhead as she strolled down Bor's dusty, dirt road. I saw it in a local performance troupe, dancing and singing under Juba's scorching afternoon sun. I saw it in Jonglei State's tribal leaders as they returned once again to try to negotiate a peaceful resolution to their tribal conflicts that have taken so many lives this year. I felt it from my fellow worshipers in the vibrant, packed Episcopal Cathedral in Juba late Sunday morning and into Sunday afternoon. And I heard it in the powerful voice of South Sudan's Minister of Labour as she commanded international aid agencies to hire more South Sudanese employees.

This is a resilience that the South Sudanese carry along with their looming memories of incomprehensible turmoil and their expectations for future uncertainty. One young man that I met had fled to a Ugandan refugee camp as a baby and returned to his country—on foot with his wife and two young children—only last year, when South Sudan became independent.

"How long did it take you to walk back?" I asked.

"Three or four days, only. But for you, it would take much longer," he said with a grin.

It is hard for me to comprehend the daily challenges and insecurities the South Sudanese face. The tribes in Jonglei State just last week arrived at a delicate peace agreement to end violence, cattle raiding, and child abductions amongst them and have begun an equally precarious disarmament process focused (in part) on retrieving weapons from youth. South Sudan's escalating war with Sudan (driven in large part by oil) has absorbed precious state resources away from development, forcing South Sudanese to live with unpaved dirt roads, insufficient education, bare-minimum health care services, and little capacity to farm their nutrient-rich land. Meanwhile, fellow members of the Episcopal Church of Sudan living in the north face increased persecution and those living in the border regions live under the constant threat of random attack or starvation. But through it all, the South Sudanese remain resilient, wise, and capable.

Despite all this, U.S. policies and rhetoric do not reflect the South Sudanese's promising capacity to thrive and flourish—by growing their own food, for example—which is tragically thwarted by a severe lack of resources.

Americans should shift our narrative—and the United States government its development policies—in South Sudan, away from assumptions of despair, to reflect this Sudanese capacity for resilience.

Tell your Members of Congress to support HR 4169, the Sudan Peace, Security, and Accountability Act of 2012, and to support the bill's underlying commitment to sustainable peace and development by supplementing U.S. food assistance with robust funding to U.S. programs that invest in agricultural development and small-scale farming in South Sudan and around the world.

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Mark you Calendar!

The next annual African Evensong will be at Trinity Cathedral on Sunday October, 28th at 3:00pm with a Reception following.  More information to come.

South Sudan: Episcopal, Catholic bishops ‘stand committed’ to end war

From: ENS:

Episcopal and Catholic bishops from South Sudan have said that together they “stand committed to do all in [their] power” to realize an end to war between Sudan and South Sudan.

Following a three-day meeting in Yei, South Sudan, lead by Roman Catholic Archbishop Paulino Lukudu Loro and Episcopal Church of Sudan Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul, the 14 bishops issued a “Message of Peace” which laid out their hopes and plans for an end to conflict.

Referencing the famous Martin Luther King Jr. speech, the bishop’s said: “We dream of two nations which are democratic and free, where people of all religions, all ethnic groups, all cultures and all languages enjoy equal human rights based on citizenship. We dream of two nations at peace with each other, cooperating to make the best use of their God-given resources, promoting free interaction between their citizens, living side by side in solidarity and mutual respect, celebrating their shared history and forgiving any wrongs they may have done to each other.

“We dream of people no longer traumatized, of children who can go to school, of mothers who can attend clinics, of an end to poverty and malnutrition, and of Christians and Muslims who can attend church or mosque freely without fear. Enough is enough. There should be no more war between Sudan and South Sudan!

“Blessed are the peacemakers; they shall be recognized as children of God (Matthew 5:9). We take this very seriously, and we stand committed to do all in our power to make our dream a reality. We believe that the people and government of South Sudan desperately want peace. We believe the same is true of the people and their liberation movements in the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile. We do not believe, however, that a lasting peace will come unless all parties act in good faith. Trust must be built, and this involves honesty, however painful that may be. We invite the International Community to walk with us on the painful journey of exploring the truth in competing claims and counter-claims, allegations and counter-allegations. We invite them to understand the peaceful aspirations of the ordinary people, and to reflect that in their statements and actions.”

The bishops’ document was, however, more than just aspirational — it included calls to both the international community and the nations of South Sudan and Sudan, specifically ones requesting the implementation of U.N. resolution 20461 and for protection for the marginalized.

The bishops — who welcomed to the meeting Archbishop of York John Sentamu and the Special representative of the U.N. secretary general, Hilde Johnson — also committed themselves to renewed ecumenical efforts to build peace. “During the civil war the strength of the churches’ role on the ground and in international advocacy lay in their unity and ecumenical spirit,” said the statement, “…since peace came in 2005 the ecumenical project has dwindled.

“The Catholic and Episcopal churches have much in common in their history, theology and praxis, both are founder members of the Sudan Council of Churches (SCC) and both are international institutions with a great deal of influence in the world for the well-being of all. Working together we believe we have much to offer to SCC as it restructures to meet the new reality of two nations, and as it faces new challenges due to the current military and political tensions.”

Bishops from the Republic of Sudan were unable to attend the meeting due to the current political situation.

The full text of the letter, along with its signatories, is available here.

APPEAL OF THE ARCHBISHOP ON THE PREVAILING SITUATION BETWEEN SUDAN AND SOUTH Sudan

23.04.12 

 “I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to 

his saints; but let them not turn again to folly” Psalms 85:8 

“Male and female created he them; and blessed them ...” Genesis 5:2 

“Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God.” Matthew 5:9 

The people of the Republics of Sudan and South Sudan are in their respective countries by 

the divine will of God. God created and gave them that land and blessed them to enjoy and 

live in harmony. But the developments of the last few months have created a worrying 

trend. 

Whereas the people of both countries: 

1. Want peace 

2. Have no grudges against each other 

3. Are the losers when war breaks out 

I am deeply concerned that: 

1. The conflict between the leadership of the two countries has escalated close to 

leading their respective armed forces to a full blown war 

2. The African Union High Level Panel failed to note the escalation and call of the 

international community in time to arrest the situation. The escalation saw the 

Government of Sudan close the border, stopping the flow of goods and services between 

the two countries and the subsequent shutdown of oil production by the Government of South Sudan. 

3. The signatories to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and the 

International Community have lost the momentum follow through with their 

commitments regarding: 

a) South Kordofan 

b) Blue Nile 

c) Abyei 

d) Border demarcation and 

e) Other outstanding issues in the CPA 

4. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and friends of IGAD 

were not called in to arrest the escalating situation between the two neighbours in time 

5. The two neighbours were left to exchange a war of words which escalated into a 

serious conflict along their border. 

I recognize: 

1. The presence of the President of the Republic of Sudan at the declaration of the 

independence of South Sudan and his offer to work with and promote brotherly 

neighbourliness with his counterpart in the Republic of South Sudan. 

2. The action of the President of the Republic of South Sudan in embracing his 

counterpart and offering to pursue peace. 

The two aforementioned points, in my view, were a sign of forgiveness for the last 55 years 

and a commitment to write a new chapter of peaceful coexistence between the people of 

the two republics. The two presidents should not lose the great amount of goodwill from 

their people and that of the international community but should use it to build a strong 

bond between their people. 

My appeal 

1. To the Presidents of Sudan and South Sudan: continue with the pursuit for peace in 

spite of the challenges you and your respective governments face 

2. To the international community: follow through with your commitment and 

momentum which led to the signing of the CPA which granted the Independence of the 

Republic of South Sudan, to ensure that all outstanding issues are amicably resolved. Chief 

among these are: 

a) Border demarcation 

b) Abyei 

c) Southern Kordofan 

d) Blue Nile 

e) Others which were part of the CPA 

3. To the people of both countries: refuse to be incited to return to war by your respective leaderships 

In Conclusion 

It is incumbent on all people of goodwill to build trust between the people of the two 

countries for their peaceful coexistence. We should learn from the 55 years of war not to 

return to it so hastily. The blood of those who fought for peace should not have been 

poured in vain. We call on all sides to exercise restraint and pursue peace at all costs. God is 

on the side of those who seek peace. 

“Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace” 

Psalms 37:37 

 Yours in Christ, 

The Most Rev. Dr. Daniel Deng Bul Yak

Archbishop, Primate and Metropolitan of the 

Province of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan and

Bishop of the Diocese of Juba

Photos from the African Spirituality Retreat

Lenten Retreat

Come for a day centered in the Daily Office and for Holy Communion with African music. There will be four sessions focused upon worship, meditation, community life, and healing.

The retreat will provide witness, advocacy, and prayer for justice for the people of Sudan and South Sudan in this continued time of crisis and war. You will learn from teachers of African Spirituality and prayer.

Leaders (more information about all of the leaders found below): The Rev. Canon Martin Oguike, The Rev. John Thompson-Quartey, The Rev. Dr. Augustine Unuigbe, Ngozi Martin-Oguike.

When: Saturday March 10, from 10AM to 3pm

Cost: $15, lunch provided

Where: All Saint's Church, Princeton, NJ

Registration: Register online here or email spaige@newjersey.anglican.org, fax registration form to 6093949546, or mail for to the diocese.

Contact: the Rev. Dr. Hugh Brown

Leaders biographies:

The Reverend Canon Martin Oguike is the vicar of St. John's Church, Woodbridge. Canon Oguike was born and raised in Nigeria, West Africa. He completed his undergraduate work in Birmingham University, UK. He holds a Master of Philosophy degree in Theology from the Birmingham University, UK and a Ph

.D. in Church History from the University of Port-Harcourt, Nigeria. Can

on Oguike lived through a genocidal civil war in Nigeria similar to the situation in Sudan/Darfur from 1967-1970 on which his dissertation on "The Roll of the Church in Nigerian Civil War" is based.

The Reverend C. John Thompson-Quartey is a native of Ghana, West Africa. He received his Bachelor of Science from Rutgers University, Newark NJ in 1993, and earned his Masters of Divinity from the General Theological Seminary, New York City, NY in 1997. He was ordained to the diaconate in May 1997, and to the Sacred Order of Priests in December of 1997. He served as Associate Rector for Youth and Family Ministries at Christ Episcopal Church in Ridgewood, NJ from 1997 until 1999. Then as Chaplain for Pastoral Care and Director of Community Outreach Programs at St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire from 1999 until July 2005. He is presently the Rector of St. Mary's-by-the-Sea in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, where he has served since 2005.

The Revere

nd Dr. Augustine Unuigbe is the Priest-in Charge of St. Augustine's Episcopal Church in Atlantic City. He is both a priest and a medical doctor, and has recent passed his medical boards in the United States.

Ngozi Martin-Oguike was born in Benin city, Nigeria. She holds a BA from the University of Benin, an MFA from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and an MA in Special Education from Kean University. She is author

of Lyrics of the Gong: Poems, as well as Called Together (1998) and Feminism in Nigeria: a Perspective in Visual Communication (2002). She is an educator with the

Roselle School District the wife of Martin Oguike.

An appeal to Episcopalians

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

A recent article from the New York Times reports: “South Sudan, the world’s newest

country, was born in July in ceremonies pulsating with pride and jubilation. Now, it seems to be

exploding in violence. More than 1,000 people have been killed in the past several months in clashes

between rival ethnic groups….” And as we follow the coverage, we read of brinksmanship over

oil along the jagged and disputed border with Sudan, a growth of inter-communal violence, the

forced exodus of Christians in the north, and a grim situation over humanitarian aid.

And so we on the Sudan Committee, and we hope also in your churches, continue to offer

a prayer composed by women in the Episcopal Church of Sudan that begins: O God, into the

pain of the tortured, breathe stillness. Into the misery of displacement, breathe comfort. Into the

hunger of the very poor, breathe fullness. Into the death of the innocent, breathe life. Into the

pain of the widowed and orphans, breathe hope.

Even as the largest country in Africa is now split, the Episcopal Church of the Sudan

remains unified. It has a strong network of organizations and people working collaboratively

through the Sudan Council of Churches to promote healing and ensure peace. It provides leaders

in mediation processes, aids in trauma counseling, discourages factionalism and the formation of

civil mercenary groups. In most of its dioceses, the Church maintains and seeks to expand health

clinics and schools during a time when Government services in many areas are still in their

infancy.

The Sudan Committee of the Diocese of New Jersey invites you to continue to pray for

the people of Sudan and Southern Sudan and to contribute generously to fund the multi-year

education in Africa of a future priest from Sudan/Southern Sudan. Our effort is modest, yet filled

with hope and trust in the redeeming and transforming love of Christ. Costs for one year of

theological education in Africa are over $6,000 and we have raised to date close to $7,000. Your

contributions can be made payable to “Diocese of New Jersey” with a memo “Attn: Sudan” and

sent to 808 West State Street, Trenton NJ 08618.

We also invite you to join us for our second Day of African Spirituality on Saturday,

March 10, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at All Saints, Princeton, and to register through the Diocese of

New Jersey’s web site with your $15.00 contribution which includes lunch. Our day of

refreshment during Lent will be centered in the Daily Office and include a Holy Eucharist with

African music. Sessions offered by The Rev. Canon Martin Oguike, Ph.D., the Rev. C. John

Thompson-Quartey, and The Rev. Dr. Augustine Unuigbe will focus on worship, meditation,

community life, and healing. Those of you who were able to be with us last year will remember

how captivating and inspiring the presentations from some of the African priests in our Diocese

were. The retreat will provide witness, advocacy, and prayer for justice in this continued time of

crisis and hope.

We thank you for walking in love and solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Christ in

Sudan/Southern Sudan. We look forward welcoming you on March 10.

Grace and peace,

The Rev. Hugh E. Brown, III, D.Min.

Chair (and Members of the Sudan Committee) and

Rector, All Saints Church, Princeton

P.S. We are very grateful to the St. Martin’s House committee for its renewed grant underwriting

the expenses of this day.

P.P.S. You may also wish to consider a one-day seminar on Friday, March 9, at Princeton

Theological Seminary: African Women Extraordinaire: Lectures and Conversation with

Christian Leaders which includes presentations by Dr. Mercy Oduyoye, described as Africa’s

first and foremost woman theologian, and Dr. Sarojini Nadar, senior lecturer and director of the

Gender and Religion Department at the School of Religion and Theology at the University of

KwaZulu-Natal (Durban, South Africa). The fee of $50 includes lunch. Scholarships available

for students. Registration through Princeton Seminary’s website: www.ptsem.edu/offices/coned.