THE NSCC People to People Peace East Bank Nilotics Reconciliation Conference will be launched at the end of this week on May 8th.

This is the second historic tribal traditional peace conference to be held by NSCC in its process for peace for Southern Sudan, which commenced in 1997 with the Dialogue held between NSCC and the SPLM/SPLA. Following a meeting with the West and East Bank chiefs and church leaders in Lokichoggio 1998 the first tribal peace conference was held on the West Bank of the Nile, at Wunlit, March '99. It was called to reconcile the Dinka and Nuer peoples of the West Bank. This peace is holding.

The East Bank Nilotics conference will involve four additional ethnic groups of the East Bank, other than the Nuer and Dinka of the region. Participants have started to move on foot to the site through the hard terrain of swamp and plains, but others will be flown the vast distances of the area to the conference.  Key members will be the traditional leaders, women, youth and local church leaders.

The Movements support the NSCC People to People peace reconciliation. SPLM has given assurances to maintain security, as it did for the West Bank meeting.  The Lou and Gaawar Nuer who comprise the majority of the Nuer bordering with the Dinka, Murle, Anuak and Shilluk have accepted the venue of the conference and are moving to the site.

International observers and partners of NSCC have been invited, with selected media persons. NSCC will issue releases of the resolutions and recommendations of the meeting which is scheduled to conclude May 14th/15th.

Signed: Dr Haruun L Ruun, Executive Secretary, NSCC

For further information please contact Elizabeth Phillippo, peace & advocacy
<peacedesk@swiftkenya.com>

____________________
Distributed by Sudan Infonet:  An information and education service of the
Sudan Working Group -- USA
SudanInfonet@cs.com
Web Site:  http://members.tripod.com/SudanInfonet
 
 

Khartoum, April 29, 2000 (AFP)-- The spiritual leader of the Anglican church, George Carey, launched a new appeal for religious tolerance and understanding in Sudan on Saturday at the start of his visit to this civil war-ravaged country. 
The Archbishop of Canterbury made the appeal during meetings with Sudanese officials, they said.
He also visited a camp outside Khartoum for refugees who have fled the fighting between successive governments in the mainly Arab and Muslim north, and rebels in the Christian and animist south.
"The archbishop called for dialogue and coexistence between Christians and Muslims in Sudan," Planning Minister Qutbi al-Mahdi told reporters after meeting Carey.
He said the archbishop had remarked that there had been "progress" in relations between the two communities since his visit to Sudan in 1995.
He was due to preach at an ecumenical service later Saturday at the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Khartoum, ahead of Sunday's enthronement of the country's new Anglican archbishop, the Most Reverend Joseph Marona, in the southern city of Juba.
"Bishop Marona is a man committed to peace, and I know that his first priority is to work for peace and reconciliation among all the people of Sudan, regardless of religion or background," Carey said in comments issued by his office ahead of his visit.
"In this mission he will have my active support," he added.
He said peace in Sudan was achievable and the Anglican church would work with other Christians to play a role in the lasting search for a settlement.
It was the archbishop's third visit to Sudan and first for five years. He cited "the forgotten war" in Sudan in his Easter sermon last Sunday, in which he warned against Africa fatigue.
The British Christian leader also met Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail with whom he discussed the issue of peace and the impacts of the war, a foreign ministry statement said.
Carey, who began his trip Friday night, pledged to exert all possible efforts to resolve the conflict which has raged since 1983, it said.

George Carey wants to encourage peace in Sudan
By Religious Affairs correspondent Jane Little 

After a two-year hiatus, the new leader of the Episcopal Church of Sudan will be enthroned on Sunday, in a ceremony presided over by the Archbishop of Canterbury. 

As head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, Dr George Carey is in Sudan to boost the morale of the country's Christians and to encourage the Church to push hard for a peaceful resolution to the Sudanese war. 

The new archbishop is Joseph Marona, formerly Bishop of Maridi in the opposition-held south of the country. He says he wants to bring all church leaders together to promote peace. 

Two year task 

It took nearly two years to get all the people together to elect the new archbishop, a task complicated by the bitter civil war. 

The Reverend Andrew Deuchar, special adviser to the Archbishop of Canterbury on Sudan, says the Church cannot operate as one organisation because there is political division between north and south. 

That has made it very difficult for people to gather together to elect a new archbishop. 

Four decades of civil war between the mainly Islamic north and the largely Christian south have left an indelible mark. 

Two million people are dead, thousands more are living in camps for the displaced, while Islamic militia have abducted and enslaved countless numbers from the south. 

Discrimination 

The Christian churches - who minister to around 40% of Sudan's population - complain of persistent discrimination by the Islamic government in Khartoum. 

Church schools and hospitals have in recent months suffered intense bombing, while church lands have been confiscated. 

Still, Dr Carey hopes his mission of fostering peace and justice will have an impact. 

There are already some signs of hope. The government recently announced the cessation of bombing raids on the south. 

The archbishop-elect also says he is confident that the government will allow him freedom of movement so that he can visit his Church in every part of the country.

Further, the government is using the roads and airstrips of the multi-national oil companies engaged in the production of oil in the Sudan, for military purposed, carrying out aerial bombardment on civilian targets (hospitals, schools, markets, churches etc) in the Southern Sudan, Nuba Mountains and Southern Sudan Blue Nile. 

In the past, the New Sudan Council of Churches (NSCC) has issued a statement with its partners calling for establishment of a Trust Fund to receive the oil revenues for the Sudan government.  It was proposed that these revenues be apportioned fairly in accordance with an agreement to be developed by the IGAD. Such an arrangement has proven unworkable. 

As the Shepherds of the population in the Sudan and eye witnesses to the ongoing genocide in the above mentioned areas, we call upon peace loving people and the international community to take immediate actions to STOP the ongoing genocide in the Sudan. This includes the withdrawal of the oil companies helping the government of the Sudan to confidently pursue the war and a call for No-fly zone for military aircraft's over the Southern Sudan, Nuba Mountains and South Blue Nile, which should be monitored. This is to reinforce our call for the same through FECCLAHA forum in Limuru (Kenya) on 23rd March 2000.

Signed:

Rev. David Demey                          Rev. John Okumu
Chairman                                         Chairman
Sudan Council of Churches (SCC)   New Sudan Council of Churches (NSCC) 

Rev. Enock Tombe Stephen             Rev. Dr. Haruun L. Ruun
General Secretary                             Executive Secretary
SCC                                                 NSCC

The elections were held outside Sudan for security reasons but the overwhelming victory of the Right Rev Joseph Marona was redeeming. 

Since the peaceful retirement of the Archbishop, the Most Rev Benjamin Wani Yugusuk in February 1998, the seat of the Archbishop had been vacant for almost two years. The elections could not take place in time due to the on-going war in the country. 

Besides many bishops were scattered and that made it impossible to meet in time as intended. Nonetheless, the synod, meeting at Limuru, just outside the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, during February 10-15 was the first of its kind in which all the areas of Sudan were represented. 

Sudan is divided into four regions of Northern Sudan area which consists of Port Sudan, Khartoum, El Obied, and Kadugli dioceses which were represented fully in this synod. The dioceses of Bahr el Ghazal, Upper Nile, and Equatoria regions were also represented for the first time. 

The previous synod undertook to build the Sudanese nation. The synod did not call for a southern region nor northern region but sought to build a church at a national level. Perhaps those initiatives inspired the latest synod. 

An important aspect of this synod was that it was able to elect the new Archbishop of the Episcopal Church of Sudan together with the rest of all ECS staff. At the same time, the synod discussed and passed a resolution for the ordination of women for the first time. 

After the retirement of the former Archbishop in February 1998 during the meeting of the House of Bishops also in Nairobi, Rt. Rev Daniel Zindo was appointed as Acting Archbishop. 

By then he was the Dean of province, but unfortunately the Bishop died tragically in a road accident on October 20, 1998 while on his way to Kampala, the Ugandan capital, where he was going to open a liaison office. 

In February 1999, the House of Bishops met again in Nairobi. The Rt. Rev Joseph Marona of Maridi Diocese who was also the chairman of the New Sudan Council of Churches NSCC based in Nairobi was appointed Acting Archbishop and Dean of the province according to ECS Constitution. 

It was during that meeting that the House of Bishops agreed to elect and fill the vacant seat of the Archbishop in February this year. February has become a traditional month for the Sudanese meeting in Nairobi every year. 

Marona of Maridi Diocese, Western Equatoria was elected unanimously by simple majority votes, out of 121 voters who cast their votes during the elections. Rt. Rev Michael Lugor of Rajaf Diocese/Central Bari followed with 25 votes. 

The other contenders were Rt Rev Bullen Dolli of Lui Diocese who received 19 votes and Rt. Rev Benjamin Mangar Mamur of Yirol Diocese got 5 votes.

The elections were peaceful and democratic, a delegate from Khartoum Rev Enock Tombe observed. In confirming Marona in office, the House of Bishops has made a proper decision on February, adds Tombe. 

He further confirmed that the elections were convened in Kenya because of insecurity prevailing in most parts of the Sudan. For example, those in the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army SPLM/A controlled areas are not able to go to Juba in the Southern region. 

"But we thank God that the election of the third Archbishop has new change in the church leadership and we hope this will result to unity, reconciliation, justice and peace in Sudan". 

Asked what he thinks about ECS crises which took place some years back in early 1968, Tombe said: " We have to accept that church is a part of the society". He is the general secretary of the Sudan Council of Churches based in Khartoum. 

"So when the church is divided, the society gets divided too and when the church is united, it can be able to play its role of re-conciliation, because this is a demonstration of its message of reconciliation," Tombe said. 

"I have known the new Archbishop elect since 1989 in Juba. From that time, I was convinced beyond all reasonable doubt that Bishop Marona was the man who can unify the Church and who can speak on behalf of the weak," says Gabriel Matur Malek of Khartoum. 

Through the new Archbishop, Matur added, the Church will gain its position in the protection of human rights of the Sudanese people and in fighting for religious rights and democracy in the country. 

Another delegate from Juba ECS province, Joel Lupai said he voted for Marona "because he is the man who will unite the church after so many crises during the past years, especially at the time of the first ECS Archbishop, the most Rev Elinana Ngalamu". 

Rev Anthony Poggo, the delegate from Kajokeji Diocese, said: "I see these elections as a part of healing process of the previous problems, and we have seen the church is sharing unity through these elections unanimously". 

"It will be hard to be an Archbishop of ECS, especially when the country is still at war where many people have been displaced both internally and externally," says Diana Witts, general secretary of Church Mission Society CMS based in England". 

Mrs Caezarina Yata, who is the president of the Mothers Union in the Sudan, said there was a problem to pass a resolution for the ordination. "We thought we were deprived because it took us a long time demand for the ordination of women," she said. 

"But we thank God that the election of the third Archbishop has new change in the church leadership and we hope this will result to unity, reconciliation, justice and peace in Sudan". 

The Archbishop elect undertook to make ECS comparable with other Anglican churches in Africa in particular and other parts of the Anglican communion in the world. 

He said: "Encouragement of women to participate actively in the church will be a priority. We like our women to be ordained. We have a very difficult task ahead of us, especially during this time of war". 

So far there are 24 dioceses with 24 bishops. Juba is the Diocese of the Archbishop where the enthronement is scheduled to take place on April 30. Juba which is the seat of the province of the Episcopal church of the Sudan ECS. 

However, the new Archbishop elect has moved to Sudan after 14 years in exile, because according to the ECS constitution, the leader is to be enthroned in his "see" which means "palace" in the theological term. 

He succeeds Archbishop Benjamina Wani Yugusuk who retired on February 28, 1998. Archbishop Marona will be enthroned in Juba, the headquarters of ECS, on 30 April 2000. 

The General Synod, which comprised of 121 electors from all the 24 Dioceses of the ECS, elected Joseph Marona in its first round of voting by 72 votes. The election was conducted at Limuru Conference and training centre in Kenya. 

The official election result for the first round published by the electoral committee was as followers: Bishop Joseph Marona (72), Bishop Michael Lugor (25), Bishop Bullen Dolli (19) and Bishop Benjamin Mangar (5). 

No candidate gained two third (81) votes required to become Archbishop outright. But the electors were spared the second round of voting as other candidates dropped leaving Bishop Marona to be unanimously declared Archbishop. 

Bishop Marona, 59, was the Chairman of New Sudan Council of Churches from 1997 to 1999. He was priested in 1982 and consecrated in 1984 as a suffragan Bishop of Maridi, Diocese of Yambio. From 1989 until his election as Archbishop, he was bishop of Maridi Diocese. He became the Dean of the province of ECS when Bishop Daniel Zindo died in October 1998. 

Dr. Eluzai Munda, Bishop of Mundri Diocese, succeeded Marona at the Deanship. Bishop Munda, 65, was ordained into priesthood in 1963 and became bishop in 1984. He has been awarded honorary doctorate in Divinity in 1995 by Virginia Theological Seminary, USA in recognition of his courage and leadership in the midst of continuous strife in the Sudan. 

The General Synod also elected Provincial officers. The very Rev Ezekiel Kondo, 43, was overwhelmingly elected the Provincial secretary. He was the first Christian from the political North Sudan to be elected into this post. Rev Kondo was until his election the provost of All Saints Cathedral, Khartoum. He defeated Jonathan Mayen by 118 votes.
 

Dr. Abraham Matiok was elected the Provincial Treasurer. He holds doctorate degree in Economics, and was not opposed for the post. 

The Archbishop will appoint Provincial Chancellor and Registrar to oversee legal and constitutional matters of the ECS. 

1. Nuer – Nuer East Bank reconciliation

Highlight was the Lou Peace & Governance meeting held in Waat Nov 1-7 which produce the Waat Lou Nuer Covenant Nov 6th 1999. 

This called for:

**  An end to all conflict amongst Lou Nuer 
**  Extended the hand of peace to the Gaawar to the west and Jikany Nuer to the east; and to all neighbouring peoples of the East Bank of the Nile.
**  Urged its political and military leaders to construct civil and  military governance systems to contribute to a united Southern Sudan. 'This system must be outside the control of the Government of Sudan, or persons working in GoS controlled areas'. 
**  A separation of military and civil administrations 
**  Empowerment of chiefs 
**  Instruction of civil administrators to be accountable for their areas 
**  Military and White Armies to de-mobilize all children under 15 years of age 
**  Called for establishment of water resources, schools, health and food security to enable communities to sustain themselves. 

Backing for the meeting came from Dan Church Aid, ICCO of Holland, Bilance of Holland, Mennonite Central Committee, World Vision International, USAID, HEKS of Switzerland, Tearfund UK, Christian Aid, Swiss Government. 

2. East bank Nilotics conference 2000 

Planning is under way to hold a peace and reconciliation conference for the East Bank Shilluk, Nuer, Murle, Dinka, Anuak, Maban and other groups mid-March 2000 for which there will be 200-300 official delegates invited from each of these communities, plus members of the diaspora, the Southern groups and factions, the NGO community, media persons, UNICEF/OLS and WFP. The aim is to achieve another step in  bringing about unity in Southern Sudan, following the success of the Wunlit meeting. 
Permission for the meeting has been cleared with SPLM/SPLA; UDSF/SSDF. 
Total cost will be approx. $372,931 with promises of support to date from USAID, DanChurch Aid, MCC, Christian Aid. 

3. West bank peace council 

Held its first meeting since Wunlit in March '99, in Yirol in Sept. attended by nine of the Dinka and Nuer counties making up the council (Gogrial and Twic could not be collected because of unlandable air strips).
The majority of the Nuer members are currently displaced within Bahr el Gazal because of the fighting in Bentiu over the oil fields.  They expressed their thanks to their Dinka hosts for the hospitality and willingness to offer land for temorary settlement, and permission to hold their chiefs' courts. 
Other aspects of the success of the peace agreement were the return of abducted women and children and agreement over 'mixed' marriages; return of cattle; free movement and trade. The meeting expressed its sadness at the shooting of peace council member chief  Magai Reat Wuor of  Jagei by forces of Cdr Paulino Matip; and the killing of council member Mary Nyabuath Dou of Leer in cross fire. 
The meeting called for sustainability of the peace process through setting up of border schools, border security teams, water points, clinics and veterinary services. It listed villages to which communities were returning following the inter-faction conflict. NSCC was grateful for the support of DanChurchAid and ChristianAid with USAID covering air charters. 
WFP assessed areas of food need as requested by the participants.

4. Eastern Equatoria

NSCC's plans to start to hold workshops for peace and reconciliation with training of peace monitors were postponed because of security problems with the shooting of Didinga chief Joseph Nakwa Lonyangaluka the last day of September in New Cush. He had been called by SPLM to assist in peace negotiations. This was followed by the ambush of an NPA vehicle and the killing of two passengers, the shooting of SRRA secretary Peter Kidi in October. 
The NSCC team, headed by the executive committee chairman, Rev John Okumu, visited displaced Didinga and Dinka Bor in northern Uganda in December.  Meanwhile on the ground the Diocese of Torit and local womens' groups are attempting to bring some stability to the situation.
The NSCC executive secretary Dr Haruun L Ruun in November met with the chairman Dr John Garang de Mabior of SPLM/SPLA. Support, to date, for the Chukudum reconciliation has come from Dan Church Aid, World Relief, MCC, Presbyterian Church of USA, All Africa Conference of Churches.

Church human rights officers

The first course was successfully held in Northern Uganda for 32 human rights officers, most of whom were pastors, evangelists, priests selected to work with communities and the forces within Southern Sudan. Course leaders were Rev. Colin Fox and Rev. David Reindorp of Christian Conferences Teaching Services and British Officers Christian Union, St Barnabas Fund. Course facilitator was Lt. Gen.  Joshua Hamidu (Retd).  Backing was provided by World Relief. 
A second course for a new intake is planned for April 2000, with revision for the first participants. It is hoped that all churches will offer candidates from all parts of Southern Sudan. A proposal is in preparation. 

Peace & advocacy

1. - NSCC welcomed the return of John Ashworth (from CEAS) as Sudan Focal Point-Africa which links with Sudan Focal Point-Europe. He will work closely with NSCC and NSCC will work closely with him. 
First collaboration was the support of SFP-A, through NCA which provides its chair, for a Nuer Briefing of the Waat conference which was held in Nairobi early December. Sudan Focal Point-Europe attended the opening of the Maridi Ecumenical Centre in October..

2. - From the NSCC Roundtable held in October a letter was sent to the co-chairs of IGAD, Italy and Norway, to stress the negative impact of sales of oil from the Bentiu oil fields on the conflict in the South and the unequal sharing of revenues. It called for support to the initiative of the United Council of the Church of Canada for the setting up of a Trust Fund (Escrow Account) to receive and hold the revenues for Sudan in trust until there be a just and credible peace when payment be made distributed fairly between North and South. 
A communique was issued from the RoundTable outlining its achievements, thanking partners and donors for their support, and condemning the chemical bombing which has been taking place in the South from GoS..

3. - The executive secretary, Dr Haruun L. Ruun met United States Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright to brief her on the situation in Southern Sudan when she visited Kenya in October. He was  invited to head the delegation of the civil society in the meeting with the Secretary.  Dr Haruun later attended a second meeting of Southern Sudanese called at Morges, Switzerland in November to plan for the future peace. The issue of self determination was one of the factors feeding into the IGAD process. 
He also attended the CEAS extraordinary meeting the same month, and NCA's partners meeting. 
Throughout December and January the executive secretary was be on an awareness and fund raising visit to the United States and Canada meeting NSCC church partners and donors. 

4. - The People to People peace facilitator, Telar Deng, attended the Human Rights, Peace & Reconciliation Conference held in Geneva by the Foreign Federal Ministry of Switzerland in October.  It was attended by European countries and six representatives from African countries.

5. - Senior members of the peace desk briefed the new British Ambassador to Sudan, Richard Make peace, on his first the South when he was in Nairobi end November. The executive secretary with senior members of the peace desk met with the British Foreign Office staff during their visit to Kenya in October; briefed the Ambassador for Switzerland. New contacts were made with the Embassies of Finland and Sweden. The peace desk keeps in close touch with  the IGAD Secretariat based in Nairobi. 
Visitors to NSCC have included PCUSA, Secours Catholique, EZE Germany, Caritas Germany, Caritas Italiana, National Endowment for Democracy from Washington DC, World Vision Canada, Newick Park Initiative of the UK, Skills for Southern Sudan, Tearfund UK, senior management teams from DanDhurchAid and Norwegian Church Aid. 
The desk briefed USAID and the US Embassy staff on the Waat meeting. It spoke at the All Africa Peace Conference held in Nairobi. 
During December it briefed the team appointed by the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, headed by John Harker, which was assessing the human rights records of the Government of Sudan and the SPLA. 
The same month USAID and REDSO held a meeting with Sudanese and international NGOs to assist in its strategic planning for the Sudan Transitional Assistance for Rehabilitation (STAR).  The desk contributed to the discussion.

6. - The peace desk has recently taken a role in the processes for peace by the women of Southern Sudan. 
It has appointed a staff member, Ann Kima (from Bentiu) to be a peace moblizer for women and youth in Upper Nile, and is actively seeking funding for a womens' peace mobilizer each for Bahr el Gazal and Equatoria, who will be recruited from their respective areas. 
The peace desk is a member of the non-partisan group of the Engendering Peace Process facilitated by the Royal Netherlands Embassy. 
It is taking part in the planning processes of the women who are  aiming to attain observer status in IGAD. 
The desk is developing co-operation with UNIFEM in support of the peace work of the churches with an emphasis on the role of women. 
With the appointment of women peace mobilizers to the field it is hoped to place greater emphasis on the role of youth and children in the long term peace process.

The Round Table of the Sudan Council of Churches, consisting of member churches and senior staff of the Council, together with international partner agencies, met in Khartoum on 29 and 30 September 1999 to discuss matters of common concern.

1. In an expression of solidarity, a number of participants visited Father Hilary Boma and Father Lino Sebit, who with several others have been held awaiting trial for 15 months in Kobat prison, Khartoum. We are impressed by their inner strength and lack of bitterness in the face of adversity, and welcome the recent announcement that their trial is due to commence soon, although we are very disappointed that this trial is to be held in a military court.

2. Having listened to the State Minister for Social Planning, we remain extremely concerned with the Government of Sudan's current proposal to relocate 200,000 internally displaced persons living in camps around Greater Khartoum. Such people have suffered for many years, and are now once again threatened with disruption to their lives by being forced, without consultation, into more remote locations without adequate services.

3. We discussed the recent attempts by the Government of the Sudan to take over the freehold property long held by the Khartoum Diocese of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan., situated in Omdurman where its headquarters is located. We were greatly encouraged to hear of the Day of Prayer and Fasting held at the site on 17 September 1999, resulting in a verbal commitment by the Government to confirm the church's legal right to the property. We look forward to having this promise confirmed in writing.

4. We share the distress of the Catholic Archdiocese - Khartoum that without prior notice, between 14 and 18 September 1999, police and armed security forces were sent to Catholic schools around Khartoum without clear reasons, frightening pupils and teachers alike. We are also concerned that the Government has told school directors that they should deal only with governmental education authorities, rather than the Catholic Diocese.

5. With regard to peace, we reaffirm the joint position of the Sudan Council of Churches and the New Sudan Council of Churches that:

- A just and lasting peace can only be achieved through meaningful and genuine dialogue; no party can maintain the illusion that a military victory is possible.

- The best hope for achieving a comprehensive cease-fire and a lasting peace is the negotiating framework provided by the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD).

6.  We were addressed by Mr Abel Alier, former Vice-President of Sudan. We welcome his recent peace proposals aimed at helping to take forward the IGAD peace process.

7.  We welcome the recent creation of an IGAD Secretariat headed by Mr Daniel Mboya to service the ongoing peace process, and hope that the Secretariat will allow itself to be accessible to proposals from civil society groups such as churches, women's groups and non-governmental organisation.

Signed on behalf of the Round Table, 30 September 1999:

Rev. David Demey, SCC Chairman 
Rev. Enoch Tombe Stephen, SCC General Secretary
Rev. Leslie Griffiths, Round Table Chairman