Press Release/Commentary by SCBRC posted on June 08, 2002 at 04:27:39: EST (-5 GMT)

Response to John Danforth’s Report on the Outlook for Peace in Sudan
By The Sudan Catholic Bishops' Regional Conference (SCBRC)

Press Release
SCBRC
May 2002 - Nairobi

The Catholic Bishops operating in the areas controlled by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) congratulate Senator John Danforth for having come up with a reasonable report on the search for peace in the Sudan. Since his appointment as U.S. President George W. Bush's Special Envoy on peace in the Sudan, Senator Danforth travelled twice to our country to see and touch for himself the unbearable suffering of the Sudanese people. Danforth himself witnessed the faith that the people of South Sudan have when he wrote: "One of my most memorable experiences was an open air Episcopal service near a bombed out church in the small southern town of Rumbek. The faith of the congregation was something that I will treasure". There could never be any better testimony than this. The SCBRC commends the Senator and acknowledges that the Envoy's involvement may lead to the improvement of the human rights situation in the Nuba Mountains and hopes that the United States Government will continue to play a key role in bringing to an end this long civil war in the African continent. However, the SCBRC would like to bring to the attention of the U.S. Government that with the cessation of hostilities in the Nuba Mountains the Government of Sudan (GOS) has since then broken the terms of this agreement. First the GOS has taken advantage of the ceasefire agreement to re-deploy its forces (two brigades) from the Nuba Mountains to Western Upper Nile around the oilfields resulting to intensified fighting and the depopulation of the inhabitants of the area. Secondly, it is now denying flights to the Nuba Mountains.

The Bishops urge the U.S. Government to continue exerting pressure on the warring parties in the Sudan conflict to accept a negotiated settlement rather than continuing war that has now led to the death of over 2 million and other 4 million internally displaced persons. The SCBRC affirms that the peace process that has been convened by the IGAD member states is a credible process that will lead to a fair settlement of the protracted conflict. We are happy that the Danforth report acknowledges the IGAD Declaration of Principles which recognizes the right to self-determination for the people of South Sudan. According to International Law, all peoples have a right to determine their social, economic and political destinies, which is in full accord with the principles of human dignity upheld by the social teaching of the Church. Similarly, the principle of self-determination is embedded in the Charter of the United Nations and is also well established under African Customary Law. This is the premise upon which the marginalized peoples of the Sudan have been basing their claim. In a recent statement issued after the meeting of the Sudan Ecumenical Forum (SEF) in which SCBRC is a member, the right of the people of South Sudan to self-determination has been affirmed and round widely accepted by all the political forces in the country. Indeed, all the people of the Sudan including the GOS have achieved a consensus on this concept as outlined in the SEF document. In fact, article 139 of the 1998 constitution of the Khartoum government is explicit on the point of the right of the people of South Sudan to self-determination.

The Bishops, also commend the Danforth report for having been clear on the issue of religion as a major divisive factor in the life of the country. We would like to bring to the attention of the U.S. Government that prior to the declaration of the sharia (Islamic Law) as the law of the state, the Sudanese peoples of diverse faiths coexisted without much antagonism as the country was and is still a multi-religious, multi-racial, multi-ethnic, and multi-cultural entity. It is the introduction of sharia as the law of the country that has brought severe differences between Islam and other faiths in the Sudan. The Church in the Sudan has often called for religions dialogue, tolerance and convened conferences to achieve such understanding between Islam and other faiths. Therefore, for peace to be realized in the Sudan the issue of state and religion needs to be addressed. However, if the government in Khartoum insists on sharia as the supreme law of the land, then the right of the non-Muslims in the Sudan can be realized in their right to determine what they want.

Finally, we reiterate our strong support for the U.S. Government's continued involvement in achieving a just and lasting peace in the Sudan and appeal that the IGAD peace process be given all the necessary support it needs to reach its logical conclusion. In this way, the U.S. will make a memorable contribution, and the SCBRC urges President George W. Bush to stand firm in his support for human rights as a factor to the peace process in the Sudan.

Bishop Paride Taban
President, Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Regional Congress

Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Regional Conference
P.O. Box 66057
00800, Nairobi – Kenya
E-mail: scbrc@form-net.com