Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Khartoum (Agenzia Fides)- “While then international community focuses on Darfur, they are forgetting Southern Sudan thinking that with the peace agreement in 2005 this region is now paradise on earth! They fail to realise that real peace must be built up day after day” says a Catholic missionary in southern Sudan, who asks not to be named for security reasons. The missionary was commenting the decision taken by former rebels of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement SPLM to withdraw from the national unity government installed after the peace agreement in 2005. Yesterday 11 October the representatives of Southern Sudan announced they had withdrawn their ministers from the government to protest against “violations against the peace treaty”, they said.
The Comprehensive Peace Agreement foresaw the integration of the SPLM in the executive of Khartoum, the formation of an autonomous administration in southern Sudan and the organisation of a referendum with which the people in the south will choose whether to remain part of Sudan or accede to independence.
The SPLA accuses the central government of violating the 2005 agreement for not sharing oil profits, not withdrawing its troops from the south and for re-militarising areas between north and south still disputed by Khartoum and the southern leadership. “Most of Sudan's oil is in these areas and this is the reason for the dispute ” the missionary said.
Although so far no one has spoken of war, tension between government forces and the militia of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM military wing) is real, the missionary explained: “I was in Turalei one of the disputed areas and I saw SPLA patrol pass a regular army patrol. I sensed the hatred on both sides. Nothing happened but who can say what will happen in the future?”
“Another thing which struck me” the missionary said “was that the troops from the south were well equipped with new weapons and uniforms. However this is not surprising because most of the income of the temporary administration in the south is destined for the army, which only in theory has been integrated into the regular armed forces, as the 2005 peace agreement stipulated. But in fact it is still a separate formation”.
“Paradoxically the south was able to rearm thanks to humanitarian aid received from the Churches, NGOs and the United Nations. The southern administration has not built schools and hospitals, but the Catholic Church has. Although 48% of oil profits must be administered by the south, as stipulated in 2005, the southern government has invested the money to boost the army instead of using it for the good of the people. The international community stands there and does nothing and there is a risk of another tragedy” the missionary said.
“What is more in another dispute region, the Nuba Mountains, the Church fills in for the state. While they are waiting to decide to whom the area belongs neither the northern or the southern administrations are present. The people are left to themselves. The local Catholic Church is doing a job which is not really hers building schools and hospitals” the missionary concluded. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 12/10/2007 righe 45 parole 619)
