Churches sound warning to international community

The All Africa Conference of Churches says that unity in Sudan has not been made attractive and warns that violence may occur if the international community does not act fast in light of the forthcoming referendum in 2011. These were the words of the Ecumenical Special Envoy to Sudan, Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia after a 10-day travel to the USA, where he met different groups and individuals who have an interest in the events that are taking place in Sudan. In a press statement, he said that the causes of almost five decades of civil war had not been addressed and they should not be papered over. As a result, the church body expects the south to secede in the forthcoming referendum. “People in the south see the referendum as their opportunity to choose freedom. A cancellation or postponement of the referendum, or a perception that the referendum outcomes do not match the will of the people, will not be understood by the people and will create a dangerous vacuum which could be filled by violence and even a return to war.” Rev. Kobia warned that the international community must be prepared for a disputed referendum result. “Recognition of the right of self determination must be a guiding principle in avoiding war; a return to war will present a moral failure on the part of all those charged with implementing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), including the CPA guarantors and the international community.” In a strongly worded statement, Rev. Kobia sounded a warning that unless the international community intervened in Sudan, another Rwanda-like situation might erupt in Sudan after the referendum. He added that as the church, they had the trust and the confidence of the people and they knew that the people of south Sudan were not ready for a postponement of the referendum. He added that the issues that had been raised by the north as a reason for wanting to postpone the referendum were not strong enough. These are issues like citizenship of those in the border areas, verification of the border and sharing of resources of the River Nile. He pointed out hotspots where violence is likely to occur as Abyei, the Nuba Mountains and the Blue Nile area. Already, a referendum for the people of Abyei to determine where they belong is behind schedule and the commission is still not in place. Another major area of concern for the Ecumenical envoy was the issue of security for southerners in the north. Already, there are reports of threats and intimidation and there is a fear that if the south secedes, southerners in the north will not have any rights. He pointed out that the Minister for Information from the National Congress Party had issued one such threat recently. “The IDPs in the north need to be repatriated before the referendum because they could be massacred after the referendum. Many of them want to be in the south during the referendum,” he added. To help solve these challenges, the envoy proposes that the UN Security Council should provide a buffer zone between the north and the south and also increase the peacekeeping forces currently in place in the area. The envoy said that they were encouraged that the voter registration period had been increased by seven more days and that the US government was now fully engaged in the process. Recently, President Obama stated that the referendum must take place as scheduled. Asked whether he thinks the secession of the south would lead to similar demands by disgruntled groups in other African countries, Rev. Kobia said that Sudan’s is a unique situation which cannot be compared to any other African country. “The southerners want their own identity and their dignity respected and their struggle is not about wealth,” he said.