SUDAN: WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES’ CALL FOR PEACE IN DARFUR
AllAfrica.com
Se pt 1 2009
Document
The following is a World Council of Churches’ statement on the Darfur
crisis in Sudan:
1. Since early 2003, the conflict in Darfur has unleashed an
overwhelming wave of violence resulting in the death of hundreds of
thousands of civilians and in an immense humanitarian crisis with
millions of innocent people being displaced and subjected to vile
crimes (torture, rape, abductions). The conflict enters its sixth year
and constitutes a moral challenge for the international community
that must no longer silence and ignore the continuous deteriorating
situation of thousands of innocent people who are confronted daily
with death and famine and are subjected to conditions calculated to
bring about their physical destruction.
2. The pursuit of justice, peace and reconciliation has been at
the core of the mission of Christian churches as a response to the
teaching of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount: "Blessed are those who
hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed
are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God
(Matthew 5: 6-9). The churches in different parts of the world, and
especially in those countries which have suffered gross human rights
violations, have been struggling against impunity at the national
and international level. The rationale of this struggle has been not
so much to seek punishment, but to overcome violence and impunity,
to support victims and to pursue peace, justice and reconciliation.
3. Churches and ecumenical organizations have always interpreted the
cries of the victims as a demand to respect their rights. Victims have
the right to know exactly what happened in the case of grave human
rights violations. It was within this context that churches raised
their prophetic voice with regard to the Armenian genocide. As it was
stated in the "Report on the Armenian Genocide", adopted by the WCC
central committee, Geneva, 15 – 22 February 2005: "From the Christian
perspective, the path towards justice and reconciliation requires the
recognition of the crime committed as a sine qua non condition for the
healing of memories and the possibility of forgiveness. Forgiveness
does not mean forgetting but to look back with the intention to
restore justice, the respect for human rights and relationships
between perpetrators and victims."
4. Churches should once again assume their pioneering role and raise
their prophetic voice with regard to the Darfur crisis. The crimes
committed in Darfur against innocent civilians amount to the crime
of genocide as prescribed in the United Nations (UN) Convention on
the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and in the
Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
5. States have a primary responsibility to protect their populations
from genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and crimes against
humanity. However, when states manifestly fail to protect their
populations, the international community shares a collective
responsibility to respond. The international community no longer has
the right to remain a bystander and allow the perpetration of large
scale atrocities, like the ones occurring in Darfur, to continue
unpunished.
6. Unfortunately the government of Sudan has failed to protect its
population. Furthermore, following the arrest warrant issued by the ICC
against the president of the Republic of Sudan, Omar Hassan Ahmed Al
Bashir, the Sudanese government proceeded in the expulsion of a number
of humanitarian aid organizations from Darfur who were providing life
sustaining assistance to millions of people in the region.
7. At the same time, the lack of progress in the peace negotiations
causes further concerns for the future of this war torn region and the
livelihood of its people. It also has an impact on the already fragile
Comprehensive Peace Agreement, signed between the government of Sudan
and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in 2005, which brought
to an end a 21 year conflict in the largest country of the African
continent. The conflict in Darfur is undoubtedly rather complex and
its interconnectedness with other parts of Sudan and ongoing conflicts
in neighbouring countries, as well as its destabilizing effects for
the whole region should not be underestimated, especially in view of
the forthcoming elections in Sudan in 2010 and the country’s critical
2011 referendum on a possible secession of the South from Sudan.
Acknowledging the seriousness of the Darfur conflict and its impact on
peace and stability in Sudan as expressed in the All Africa Council
of Churches general committee "Statement on the situation in Sudan"
issued on 24 – 27 March 2009, the central committee of the WCC,
meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, 26 August – 2 September 2009:
A. Condemns the mass atrocities committed against innocent civilians
in Darfur.
B. Affirms its commitment and support to all national and international
efforts aiming at pursuing justice and accountability with a view
to building a long lasting peace through a truly reconciliatory
process which will allow people to resettle and reintegrate in their
communities from which they were forcefully displaced.
C. Urges the government of Sudan to assume full responsibility for the
protection of its citizens irrespective of their ethnic, religious
or political affiliation, and further calls on all parties in the
Darfur conflict to restrain from all forms of violence and to uphold
respect for the dignity and human rights of all people in Sudan.
D. Calls upon the government of Sudan to allow uninterrupted
humanitarian assistance to reach all suffering people in Darfur
and calls upon the international community to provide the necessary
resources.
E. Appeals to the government of Sudan to actively show its commitment
to justice and peace by honouring the statements and agreements it
has signed, especially the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
Relevant Links East Africa North Africa Sudan Religion F. Urges African
nations and the international community, both individually as well as
through organizations such as the African Union, the Arab League and
the United Nations, to continue to support the peace process through
constructive dialogue with all parties involved in the conflict.
G. Appreciates the assistance provided by the peace keeping force
UNAMID (African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur), and
calls for further financial and logistical support by the international
community in order to allow UNAMID to protect the civilian population
most effectively.
H. Acknowledges the significant role of the churches in Sudan in
promoting interreligious dialogue and advocating for peace, justice,
reconciliation and respect for the dignity and well being of all the
people of Sudan.
I. Encourages all Christians to pray for an end to the hostilities
in Darfur and for a lasting peace in Sudan.