In a collective statement on the situation in war-torn Sudan, the country’s Catholic bishops appeal to the international community to step up efforts to end violence in the country. They also express concern that prolonged fighting may aim to block solidarity among the Sudanese people.
Linda Bordoni and Jean-Benoît Harel – Vatican City
In a collective statement, the Catholic bishops of Sudan and South Sudan urge the United Nations, the United States, the United Kingdom and Norway – also known as the Troika – and other members of the international community to step up their respective efforts to end the ongoing violence in Sudan. The bishops also ask that we continue to provide the “necessary support” to those affected by the violence. More than 12,000 people have died and nearly 7 million have been displaced in Sudan’s nearly nine months of war.
Appeal of the Catholic bishops
In a statement released on December 26, the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Sudan deplores the situation in Sudan, stating that “the conflict is causing massive destruction of human lives, property and livelihoods, to the surprise of many who had not never predicted that this would happen.” such an unfortunate situation would occur in Sudan.” Highlighting the plight of civilians involved in the conflict, the bishops are outraged by the “challenges of God’s people in Darfur”, where, they say, “villages have been reduced to ashes, leaving citizens without shelter or shelter”.
On April 15, 2023, war broke out in Sudan between the army, the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), and a paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The violence began in the capital Khartoum and has since spread across the country, with accusations of massive human rights abuses and war crimes. The conflict is the result of a power struggle between army generals and a paramilitary group, following the ouster of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir and agreement between Sudan’s military authorities and civilians on a framework agreement which provides for the transition to civilian government. .
Since April 2023, Sudan has been experiencing a bloody war between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). More than 6 million people…
Political maneuver
The bishops’ press release coincides with the regional tour of RSF paramilitary leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, known as “Hemetti”. He traveled to Uganda, Ethiopia and finally Djibouti to gain the support of regional powers and thus negotiate a ceasefire in his favor. Eight East African powers, united in the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, are working towards a face-to-face meeting between the two opposing generals, without success. Such a meeting could be organized in the first week of January, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Djibouti’s minister of foreign affairs, tweeted.
Sudanese refugees await help from NGOs in Al-Qadarif, western Sudan
According to some analysts, the real goal of Hemetti’s diplomatic trip is to gain regional support to defeat the army once and for all. Militarily, the RSF has won several battles, particularly in Gezira state, Sudan’s breadbasket, giving the group a clear advantage over the army.
In October, the RSF captured several military garrisons in the vast western region of Darfur, while US-backed mediation talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, were set to resume after a long pause.
Sudanese refugees cross the border into Chad.
Power of prayer
By pledging to use “different platforms” to continue to involve “leaders from different parts of Sudan to put the interests of the people first in their struggle for political power”, the Catholic bishops express their faith and conviction that “the Our strength comes from the power of prayer, an act that fuels our hope for a better tomorrow”
In their statement, they urge the Sudanese people not to be discouraged by the prolonged conflict, but “to trust in God who overcomes all suffering and gives a sense of hope”. The bishops also express concern that the conflict may be an attempt to block solidarity among the Sudanese people: “We have a strong feeling that the course of events in Sudan is an attempt to block your aspiration for a society in which people live as brothers and sisters.
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2024-01-02 16:49:39
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