Church assembly asserts independence

The 10th general assembly of the New Sudan Council of Churches (NSCC) on 3 August endorsed the “Kisumu Declaration” agreed on in western Kenya in late June, by which more than 200 traditional leaders, elders, women, civil society representatives and politicians from southern Sudan called for the unity of two factions of the Nuer ethnic group; called on the international community to respond to the humanitarian crisis in southern Sudan, Southern Blue Nile and the Nubah Mountains; appealed to oil companies to suspend production until there was a comprehensive and just peace agreement in Sudan; and asked the NSCC to continue its peace-building work in the region. The NSCC assembly endorsed the document as “the authentic voice of a large and representative cross section of Sudanese civil society”, and as an authentic working document for both civil society and military/political groups in their quest for a just and lasting peace for southern Sudan and other marginalised areas of the country. It also affirmed that the church “is and must remain, neutral and independent” in support of the people. In the past, the church grouping has been accused of being too close to the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), which declined to attend the Kisumu conference. The NSCC assembly called on partners and donors “to continue to support the people-to-people peace process... not only in addressing conflict between ethnic groups but also in empowering Sudanese civil society, and bringing the voice of ordinary citizens into the higher level of peace-making”. The assembly reaffirmed the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Declaration of Principles on peace negotiations for Sudan “as the cornerstone of any just and lasting peace”, and said it should be central to any peace initiative. [The concept of self-determination for the south has been accepted in the IGAD regional peace initiative, which involves the Sudanese government and the SPLM/A, but the nine principles of the Libyan-Egyptian initiative make no reference to self-determination and, indeed, reaffirm the unity of Sudan as fundamental.] Also on 3 August, the NSCC assembly reaffirmed its priorities for advocacy work, namely: the aerial bombing of civilians; exploitation of Sudan’s oil; southern unity; and the right to self-determination of southern Sudan and other marginalised areas. [for more details of the Kisumu Declaration, see separate IRIN report of 2 July headlined” SUDAN: Nuer deal presented as progress towards peace” at: http://www.reliefweb.int/IRIN/cea/countrystories/sudan/20010702c.phtml]