Vatican Radio - Almost one year on from the independence of South Sudan, the needs
and the challenges facing people in the world’s newest nation remain immense – that’s
according to the global Catholic confederation, Caritas Internationalis, which runs
both emergency aid programmes and longer term development projects there. Caritas
communication officer Laura Sheahan has just returned from a fact finding visit to
the border area of Abyei, where fighting flared a year ago as both Khartoum and the
southern forces sought control ahead of the declaration of independence on July 9th.
Expectations then ran very high and Laura says there’s still a new sense of self-determination,
despite the vast needs for infrastructure, electricity, clean water or health and
education systems. She shared with Vatican Radio’s Philippa Hitchen some heart rending
stories but also some examples of courage and an indomitable will to build peace and
prosperity in this resource rich nation….