Sudan Peace Under Threat, Say Churches
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The Nation (Nairobi)
June 18, 2004
Posted to the web June 18, 2004
Nation Reporter
Nairobi
Sudanese churches yesterday condemned the humanitarian crisis in Darfur and expressed
fear that it might frustrate the recently signed peace agreement.
They called on the international community to intervene and save lives and property in
that western part of the war-torn country.
The Sudanese Ecumenical Forum vowed to play a more proactive role to ensure the
month-old peace agreement was implemented to the letter. Forum chairman Kevin Dowling
announced that the churches would closely monitor the transitional provisions.
They would conduct civic education of the masses in and outside the country.
Bishop Dowling supported the peace agreement signed in Nairobi last month and vowed
his organisation would not allow it to fail as happened in 1972.
It was signed in the presence of President Kibaki at State House, Nairobi, by Sudanese
Vice-President Ali Osman Taha and by Dr John Garang, chairman of the Sudanese People's
Liberation Army/Movement.
Said the Bishop: "The church will not sit back just because a peace agreement has been
signed. We will be more proactive by engaging in monitoring and civic education."
He was addressing the press at the All Africa Conference of Churches' Nairobi
headquarters a day after closing a one-week General Assembly of the Sudan Ecumenical
Forum.
The assembly resolved to commit itself to popularising and supporting the peace
agreement.
It urged all parties to strive to implement the final agreement fully.
They demanded that the agreement be all-inclusive and transparent to ensure its
ownership by all the Sudanese people, both North and South.
Relevant Links
East Africa
North Africa
Civil War and Communal Conflict
Humanitarian Abuses and Civilians
Religion
Sudan
Peace Negotiations and Conflict Resolution
The bishops included Archbishop Joseph Marona of the Episcopal Church of Sudan; the
Rev Peter Makuac, moderator of Presbyterian Church of Sudan; the general overseer of
the Sudanese Pentecostal Church; the chairman of the Sudan Council of Churches, the
Rev John Tong Puk; and Bishop Parride Taban, who represented Archbishop Paulino Lukudu
Loro of the Sudanese Catholic Bishops Conference.
There was also the Rev John Okumu, regional coordinator of the South Sudan Africa
Inland Church; Mr Andrea Kena, chairman of Sudan Interior Church, and Fr Mark
Kumbonyaki, chairman of the New Sudan Council of Churches.
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