Sudanese bishops warn peace accord for the south losing force

Rome, Italy, Nov 24, 2008 / 11:42 am

The Fides news agency reported this week that the Sudanese bishops are concerned “about the fact that the letter and spirit of the Comprehensive Peace Accord is losing force, both among its main signers and its supporters and friends who contributed to achieving this historic document.”

In January of 2005, a peace accord was signed in Nairobi between the Jartum government and the Movement for the Liberation of the Sudanese People, which put an end to the 20 year-long war in southern Sudan.

At the conclusion of their Plenary Assembly, the Sudanese bishops stated that the war has jeopardized social relations between persons, contributing to the erosion of family values. Only through prayer and the strengthening of our relationship with God will the Sudanese be able to rebuild their country and achieve lasting peace, the bishops said.

Even as a series of consensus issues between the federal government and the provisional autonomous authority of southern Sudan are still being worked out, both sides continue the military buildup.

The government claims it is only updating its arsenal, while rebels in southern Sudan say they are rearming only to guarantee interior security, which is threatened by the presence of rebel Ugandan soldiers.