Documents on SUDAN

[anb-bia <anb-bia at village.uunet.be>]

Here are two documents :
        The first from Bishops of the Catholic and Episcopal Churches of 
SUDAN
        The second from the FAO.
Best wishes
Paolo
--------------------------

An Appeal by the Bishops of the Catholic and Episcopal Churches of Sudan
Nairobi, Kenya 17 August 
2001                                           (sd-e-533-a)

Let There Be A Just and Durable Peace in the Sudan

We the Bishops of the Catholic and Episcopal Churches of the Sudan, 
gathered  in Nairobi for a seminar, Pastoral Leadership and United Action 
in a Crisis Situation, from 12 - 17 August 2001, moved by our Christian 
Faith and  concerned by the immense suffering of all the Peoples of Sudan 
because of  the current civil war, appeal for an immediate end of the 
hostilities and the establishment of a just and durable peace in the Sudan.

We address our appeal to the Government of Sudan, the Sudan Peoples 
Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), 
other warring parties, all Peoples of Sudan of every tribe and religion, 
the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD) and other 
peacemakers including the IGAD Partners Forum (IPF), the United Nations, 
the African Union and international partners.

We also address our appeal to his Holiness Pope John Paul II and the Most 
Reverend and The Right Honorable Dr. George Carey, Archbishop of 
Canterbury, and to religious leaders around the world.

State of suffering

We are deeply concerned with the appalling human suffering in both the 
North and South of the country.  Nearly three million people have died 
because of the war.  Over six million have been internally displaced and 
millions more having fled the country.  The economic situation has 
deteriorated to the extent that over 96% of the population is living below 
the poverty line.  In some areas, populations are being deliberately denied 
critically needed basic humanitarian assistance.

The war has adversely affected particularly the most vulnerable: women, 
children and the elderly.  In order to sustain the war efforts, the warring 
parties conscript by force children of school age into military service, 
thus exposing them to grave harm, depriving them of any chance of education 
and jeopardising their futures.  Women and children are harassed and abused 
and the elderly are robbed of normal traditional care.  Ordinary and 
traditional family live has collapsed, and cultural traditions have broken 
down.

Large sections of the population have become dependent for their survival 
on humanitarian assistance.  This assistance, though desperately needed, is 
however not an effective long-term solution to the crisis.

Given these and other heinous experiences of human suffering, we appeal for 
an immediate end of the war.  A negotiated settlement, rather than military 
means is the only way to achieve a just and lasting peace.

Peace based on justice

Stopping the war is essential, but not sufficient for the establishment of 
a just and lasting peace.  The root causes of the conflict must also 
beaddressed, so that all Sudanese can enjoy their full rights in 
dignity.  This could be achieved by addressing the following:

Affirmation of diversity in the national identity that ensures the 
equaltreatment of all cultural, racial and religious groups in the public 
media and the educational and legal systems in order to promote peaceful 
coexistence.

Power sharing by a participatory system of governance that ensures the full 
rights and participation of all people.  Such a system should protect the 
states' exclusive rights over their territories and provide for 
the  sharing of agreed upon powers at the national level.  This balance 
of  powers must be configured to avoid the domination by any one group 
over  another and ensure the full rights of all.

Wealth sharing through an agreed upon formula between the states 
and  national government to ensure balanced and equitable development.

Programme for peace

Addressing the above three major concerns requires a concrete programme of 
action that includes the following:

Affirmation of principles:  We affirm the Declaration of Principles of 
the  IGAD peace process, particularly in regards to the relationship 
between  state and religion, the principle of self-determination, and 
the  comprehensive cease-fire.

Relationship between state and religion:  The unity of the country 
and  peace with justice cannot be achieved under Sharia Law in a country 
with  a diversity of cultures and religions.  Instead we call for 
religious  freedom for all religious groups and the separation of religion 
and state.

Comprehensive cease-fire:  Upon the achievement of a negotiated 
settlement,  a comprehensive cease-fire should be declared and 
internationally monitored.

Advocacy for justice and peace.  We call for:

a)  Respect for human rights for all citizens

b)  Peace building, reconciliation and forgiveness among the diverse 
cultural groups of the nation, including North - South, South - South and 
North - North initiatives

c)  The cooperation of neighboring countries, international organizations, 
and IGAD Partners Forum countries and all people of goodwill.

d)  The constructive engagement of all national state 
stakeholders,      including civil society groups and religious communities 
in particular.

Affirmation of the ongoing people-to-people reconciliation and peace 
process  in the South and urge all parties to the conflict to engage and 
support seriously this process and any similar processes in the 
North.  These  grassroots efforts should be linked to the higher national 
political level.

Commitment to fostering genuine Christian - Muslim dialogue 
particularly  at the local community level.

Affirmation and support of the Sudan Ecumenical Forum and its ongoing 
initiatives for peace.

Suspension of oil extraction until peace is achieved.  Its 
continuation  fuels the war, uproots civilian populations, and reinforces 
the existing imbalance in wealth sharing.

Conclusion

As believers in the one Creator, and sharing in a single humanity, 
we  believe and hope that God will grant the Peoples of Sudan peace if we 
are willing to pray sincerely, to reconcile and bear one another's burdens.

(Sudan Focal Point - Africa - Nairobi)

======================================


FAO GLOBAL INFORMATION AND EARLY WARNING SYSTEM ON FOOD AND AGRICULTURE


SPECIAL ALERT

No. 316


(Circulated only for countries where foodcrops
or supply situation conditions give rise to concern)

COUNTRY: SUDAN                         DATE: 22 August 2001


EXTENSIVE FLOODS FOLLOWING PROLONGED DROUGHT
JEOPARDISE FOOD SECURITY IN SUDAN

Following two consecutive years of serious drought, extensive floods in 
northern Sudan have displaced tens of thousands of people, destroyed crops 
and aggravated the already precarious food supply situation in the affected 
areas. Heavy rains in the Blue Nile catchment areas in Ethiopian highlands 
caused an overflow of the Nile river and submerged many villages and 
settlements. Water levels in the Nile are reported to be higher than those 
of 1988, when the river burst its banks causing massive destruction.  Worst 
affected areas are northern and eastern parts along the Nile, including 
areas around the capital city Khartoum. South Darfur State has also 
suffered from flash floods due to torrential rains. Large number of 
inhabited islands on the Nile have been evacuated but several villages and 
towns remain isolated by the floods. Access to the affected population is 
difficult due to damage to main roads and bridges.

The humanitarian situation in the affected areas is reported to be critical 
and there is an urgent need for international assistance to rescue the 
stranded people and to provide them with food, drinking water, medicines 
and other assistance. As several areas are inaccessible, airlift operations 
are needed to reach the isolated population. A full assessment of crop 
losses and agricultural damage is not yet available, but, preliminary 
indications point to significant crop and livestock losses.

Overall prospects for the 2001 main season cereal crop, normally harvested 
from October, were already poor before the damage caused by floods. A late 
start of the rainy season in parts and large number of population 
displacement due to escalation of conflict in southern Sudan resulted in a 
decline in plantings and potential yields. The losses and yield reductions 
caused by the floods are likely to worsen the already unfavourable harvest 
outlook.

Over the last two years, lower harvests coupled with virtual depletion of 
stocks have led to a sharp rise in cereal prices, reducing access to food 
for the poorer segments of the population. The purchasing power of large 
numbers of people, particularly pastoralists, has been seriously eroded. 
With coping mechanisms stretched to the limit, farmers and other vulnerable 
groups have migrated in search of work and food. The number of people 
joining WFP's "Food for Work" programmes has increased dramatically. 
Government efforts to mitigate food shortages by lifting customs duties on 
food imports and financing grain purchases through the Strategic Commodity 
Stock Authority have, to some extent, helped stabilise cereal markets. 
However, severe malnutrition rates are on the rise reflecting acute food 
shortages. The situation will worsen in the coming months unless timely and 
adequate assistance is provided. The number of people in need of urgent 
food assistance, estimated at some 3 million earlier in the year due to 
drought and/or civil war, is set to increase with current floods. Last 
year's drought has affected mainly greater Darfur and Kordofan, Bahr el 
Ghazal, Bahr el Jebel, East Equatoria, Jonglei, Red Sea and Butana province 
in Gezira State.

An FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission earlier this year 
estimated a cereal import requirement of 1.44 million tonnes in marketing 
year 2000/01 (November/October) of which 1.2 million tonnes were expected 
to be covered commercially while the remaining was expected to be met by 
food aid. International food aid pledges cover only a fraction of the 
requirements so far.


FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS, ROME


 FAO and WFP will jointly field a mission to the country in 
October/November 2001, to assess the outcome of this year's harvest and 
food supply outlook for 2001/02 (November/October) including an estimation 
of the country's food import requirements and food aid needs of the 
affected population.

-------
This report is prepared on the responsibility of the FAO Secretariat with 
information from official and unofficial sources. Since conditions may 
change rapidly, please contact Mr. Abdur Rashid, Chief, ESCG, FAO, (Fax: 
0039-06-5705-4495, E-Mail (INTERNET): GIEWS1 at FAO.ORG) for further 
information if required.

Please note that this Special Report is available on the Internet as part 
of the FAO World Wide Web at the following URL address: 
http://www.fao.org/giews/ .



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tyrannie (Wole Soyinka, Prix Nobel litterature) -  Everytime somebody keep 
silent when faced with tyranny, someone else dies (Wole Syinka, Nobel Prize 
for Literature)
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