Caritas Internationalis appeals to Sudan and South Sudan to step back from war
Caritas Internationalis is appealing to leaders of Sudan and of South Sudan to step
away from the brink of war.
The Catholic aid organization today released a
communiqué revealing its fears that a full scale war is imminent between Sudan and
South Sudan with dire humanitarian consequences for both unless there is pull back
from further military action.
In the the press release Caritas Internationalis
says:
"South Sudan became independent from Sudan last July following a
popular vote. It was the culmination of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement that
ended decades of war.
However, areas of contention including border demarcation,
the status of disputed areas in Abyei, South Kordofan and Blue Nile and oil rights
still have not been resolved.
The Caritas confederation of over 160 Catholic
aid agencies fears that recent clashes over these issues have now brought the two
countries to the brink.
Caritas is also concerned over the use of extreme
rhetoric by officials and that it is inciting an environment of fear. Attacks in Sudan
on Christians such as the ransacking of the Presbyterian Evangelical Church in Khartoum
on Saturday are deeply troubling.
Over 500,000 South Sudanese live in Sudan.
Relations at a community level between the predominately Muslim Sudanese and the Christian
South Sudanese remains good.
Caritas Internationalis Secretary General Michel
Roy says, “Caritas appeals to Sudan and South Sudan to stop military actions along
the border. It’s not too late for both governments to check the momentum leading to
an all out war. Peace can only be achieved by returning to the negotiating table and
fully implementing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
“The international community
has failed to act decisively to prevent an escalation towards war. They must follow
through with their commitments to ensure all outstanding issues are resolved peacefully.
“Two million people died in the last war. Everyone will be losers in another
conflict. Our belief is that the peoples of Sudan and South Sudan want peace. Their
governments and the international community achieved great things in ending the war,
they cannot allow those gains to be lost.”
“Both sides must exercise restraint.
They have a duty to all their people and must ensure their safety. This includes refraining
from inflammatory language that incites violence against minorities.
“Caritas
Internationalis stands in solidarity with the people of Sudan and South Sudan. We
are committed to supporting the efforts of the Church at providing humanitarian assistance
and fostering peace between the nations.”
Caritas Internationalis is looking
for more details after its member Sudan Aid has had its office closed in Nyala in
Darfur by security forces. Sudan Aid is part of relief efforts for 500,000 people
in Darfur providing food, clean water, healthcare and other aid.
Caritas organisations
have operations in Sudan and South Sudan, including pre-emergency planning to cope
with the fallout from a return to fighting with its large displacement of people."
Linda Bordoni spoke to Patrick Nicholson, director of media at Caritas
Internationalis in Rome...