SOUTH SUDAN: Bishops Appeal to Regional and International Actors Involved in the Sudan’s Protracted Conflict

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA

Catholic bishops in South Sudan have raised concern of the involvement of regional and international actors in the ongoing conflict of Sudan, a situation they say is destabilizing not only Sudan but the entire region.

“We are deeply concerned about the regional and international components to the conflict,” the bishops expressed and expounded that, “The conflict is destabilising the whole region already fragile and weakened by internal conflicts.”

Addressing this concern, the Church leaders who issued a statement on Friday, June 30, at the conclusion of their three-day Ecclesiastical Province Meeting in Juba called upon the international community to prevail over the Sudan’s warring parties to choose dialogue as means to resolve their differences.

According to the Catholic bishops of South Sudan who met for the first time as Ecclesiastical Province since 2017 because of the vacancies that have been existing in Dioceses but have currently been filled, the conflict which commenced nearly three months ago, has posed a big challenge and suffering to both Sudanese and South Sudanese people who were and are still in Sudan.

They highlighted that the conflict has led to “loss of many human lives, the destruction of property, including Church’s property, loss of businesses, massive displacement both internally and abroad and the resultant humanitarian crises.”

In the statement signed by eight bishops on Friday, June 30, “Human rights abuses are taking place on daily bases, killing, looting and raping.” Besides, “Hospitals are being destroyed, and essential services such as access to food, water and electricity are being denied to the civilian population.”

Worse still, in many Sudanese cities, “heavy weapons are being used indiscriminately and civilians are being killed.”

The bishops condemn the acts in the strongest possible term and stressed that the use of these weapons is unacceptable.

It is clear from the Church leaders that the ongoing conflict in Sudan is on power struggle within the government and nobody is ready to pay heed to the other making the civilians to suffer.

“The conflict as far as we know is a power struggle between two generals: Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, the Head of the Supreme Council and Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemeti), the Deputy Head of the Supreme Council and Head of Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and their associated armed groups,” reads part of the Friday statement as it adds, “The war is simply a conflict between two armed groups within the government.”

The prelates who are calling upon the warring parties to respect the will of the Sudanese people, underscored that the citizens of Sudan are in dare need of a democratic civilian government, and they want the two separate military forces to be merged and to come under civilian control.

“The ordinary civilians of Sudan have made their wishes known through the non-violent protests which overthrew President Bashir in 2019, and which continued after the new military takeover in 2021,” they disclosed.

They therefore appreciated the civilians who have resisted dictatorial military regimes in Sudan for many years, and called on the international community to recognise them and to support their non-violent struggle for justice, peace and a democratic civilian government so as to intervene and end the conflict.

The prelates promised that the Catholic Church in South Sudan together with the people of good will already involved, will continue to provide moral support and solidarity to the people of Sudan, “welcoming those Church personnel who have fled to South Sudan, and speaking out internationally and regionally on their behalf.”

“We shall continue to play our main role which is humanitarian, through our Caritas South Sudan, Church and other international development and humanitarian agencies in supporting and caring for the refugees who come from Sudan,” the bishops said and continued, “We also encourage you our Christian faithful to open your doors in love, charity and solidarity to those your brothers and sisters coming from the Sudan.”

They further commended the government of South Sudan for welcoming refugees fleeing from Sudan, and urged them to continue with the same spirit as they asked the international community to provide needed humanitarian aid both within Sudan and in South Sudan and other neighbouring countries hosting Sudanese refugees.