Catholic Information Service for Africa (Nairobi)
12 August 2008
Juba — Churches in South Sudan say the recent indictment of President Omer Hassan El Bashir by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur could affect ongoing implementation of the peace process in the region.
But the churches, meeting in Juba last week, did not give details of how El Bashir's indictment could complicate implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed between the government and the southern rebels in 2005.
"We call upon all concerned to take into consideration the CPA implementation, the plight of the people of Darfur, and to ensure that justice and peace are upheld," the churches said in a statement that covered many other issues.
They said many people were poorly informed about the CPA and pledged to create awareness of the agreement, including translating it into local languages.
The churches will also conduct civic education ahead of national elections next year.
One of the provisions of the CPA is a referendum in 2011 to determine the destiny of South Sudan. The churches said they support the right of self determination for the people of Southern Sudan to decide their future. "We commit ourselves to raise awareness on the Referendum to ensure that the process is carried out with transparency, and propose that the Church and community leaders be involved in ensuring such transparency."
The churches drew attention to insecurity in the country perpetrated by people who are still holding arms and using these arms for cattle raiding and robbery.
On the environment, they urged the national and regional governments to strictly control the disposals of the waste from the oil refineries to avoid environmental disasters in the oil producing states.
"We commit ourselves to advocate and lobby for the compensation of those displaced by the oil and other commercial interests, for proper regulations on the activities of commercial and private interests, including strict environmental controls, the protection of wildlife and education on ecological issues."
The churches will embark on constructive engagement with the government at all levels to seek solutions to the challenges of the CPA implementation and other concerns in South Sudan.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Catholic Information Service for Africa. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
