2024-01-02 16:49:39
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 the prolonged fighting might aim to block solidarity among the people of Sudan.
Linda Bordoni and Jean-Benoît Harel – Vatican City
In a collective statement, the Catholic bishops of Sudan and South Sudan urge the UN, US, UK 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 call for the continuation of “necessary support” for those affected by the violence. More than 12,000 people have died and nearly 7 million have been displaced in Sudan’s nearly nine-month war.
Call from Catholic bishops
In a statement released on December 26, the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Sudan deplores the situation in Sudan, saying that “the conflict is causing massive destruction of human lives, property and livelihoods, to the surprise of many who do not “never anticipated that such an unfortunate situation would unfold in Sudan.” Highlighting the plight of civilians caught up in the conflict, the bishops are outraged at the “challenges of the people of God in Darfur,” where, they say, “villages have been reduced to ashes, leaving citizens without shelter or housing.” .
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 allegations of massive human rights violations and war crimes. The conflict is the result of a power struggle between the army’s generals and a paramilitary group, following the ouster of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir and the agreement between military authorities and civilians of Sudan on a framework agreement providing for the transition to a civilian government.
Since April 2023, Sudan has experienced a bloody war between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). More than 6 million people…
Political maneuvers
The bishops’ press release coincides with the regional tour of the RSF paramilitary leader, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, known as “Hemetti”. He traveled to Uganda, Ethiopia and finally Djibouti, to obtain the support of regional powers and thus negotiate a ceasefire in his favor. Eight East African powers, united within the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, are working for a face-to-face meeting of the two opposing generals, without success. Such a meeting might be organized in the first week of January, tweeted Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, the minister of foreign affairs of Djibouti.
Sudanese refugees wait for help from NGOs in Al-Qadarif in western Sudan
According to some analysts, the real goal of Hemetti’s diplomatic tour is to gain regional support to defeat the army once and for all. Militarily, the RSF won several battles, notably in Gezira State, Sudan’s breadbasket, giving the group a clear advantage over the army.
In October, the RSF captured several army garrisons in the vast western region of Darfur, as US-backed mediation talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, were set to resume following a long pause.
Sudanese refugees cross the border into Chad.
Power of prayer
Pledging to use “different platforms” to continue to engage “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 belief that “our strength comes from the power of prayer, an act that nourishes our hope for a better tomorrow”
In their statement, they urge the people of Sudan not to become 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 might be an attempt to block solidarity among the people of Sudan: “We have the strong feeling that the course of events in Sudan is an attempt to block your aspiration for a society where people live like brothers and sisters.
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