Citing sadness over the threat of the complete collapse of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) process, the people of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan have issued a wide ranging statement that calls for an end to inter-ethnic violence and damage done to the environment by oil companies in Sudan, alerting the world to the threat of widespread famine, and calling for free and fair elections:
“We express our sadness at the missed opportunity for making the unity of the Sudan attractive since the signing of the CPA: the lack a reconciliation process, the lack of transparency over the National Census and oil revenues, the failure to repeal or alter laws which are contrary to the spirit of the CPA which guarantees equality and freedom for all, the stalling implementation of the July 2009 Abyei ruling, and the current deadlock over the legislation governing the referendum in Southern Sudan and the popular consultations in Abyei, Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan. Unity has not been made attractive.
We strongly condemn all inter-ethnic violence currently witnessed across much of Southern Sudan, the ongoing violence against civilians in Darfur, and the violent attacks on civilians being perpetrated by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in the south-west of the country. We re-affirm our commitment to doubling the efforts of the Church in bringing peace and reconciliation to our people, working together with the government as a force for unity and love amongst our people who have suffered for so long.”
Read the whole statement here.