Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service)- “This is a first substantial step” Rev. Tonio Dell’Olio, spokesman for the Sudan Campaign a network of Catholic and secular associations working to bring peace to the country, told Fides. The priest was referring to an oil wealth sharing agreement reached on 7 January by the Sudan government and the rebels. “Oil was one of the crucial questions of this war and one of the most difficult to settle. I think that now the path is downhill and that a lasting peace agreement will be reached very soon. However for this to happen the civil society must be more involved and they must go further than just the logic of wealth sharing. I was struck by something I heard from a Sudanese catechist last time I was there. Quoting an ancient Sudanese proverb he voiced concern for the agreement which was still being discussed: ‘They have taken the cow by the horns in order to milk it better’. This I think expresses the concern of the people who want to be more involved in the peace process, Father Dell’Olio told Fides.
“In fact it should be remembered that the decisive push to reach the agreement came from the United States interested, on the one hand in the exploitation of Sudan’s oil resources and on the other in Khartoum’s participation in the fight against international terrorism” Father Dell’Olio told Fides. With the end of the war, the government of Sudan can become a full member of the coalition against terrorism and as such receive American military aid. “Washington’s interest in Sudan is therefore both economic and political-strategic. At present there are no American oil companies operating in Sudan but it is known that the former are very interested in Sudan’s oil of excellent quality and therefore easier and cheaper to refine.” Father Dell’Olio told Fides. With regard to foreign presence in Sudan Father Dell’Olio added: “It will be interesting to see how the United States interacts in future with the large Chinese and Malay communities in Sudan. The country could become a sort of laboratory for China/US relations outside Asia ” Father Dell’Olio told Fides
With regard to the chances of a lasting peace he said: “The international community cannot abandon Sudan in its struggle to secure a lasting peace. First of all the problem of the return of refugees must be settled. In Khartoum alone there are at least 3 million people in camps and if all of them decided to return to the south it would be a move of biblical proportions. Moreover a disordered return of refugees could aggravate ethnic divisions in the southern region and cause fresh violence. There must be a united effort from all sides to formulate and fund plans for refugee resettlement ”.
“Donor countries must exercise control to ensure funds are not used for other than authentic development projects” Father Dell’Olio warned.
“Lastly there are other unsolved problems such as the control of the three regions half way between north and south, Blue Nile, Nuba Mountains and Abyei. It has yet to be established whether these areas will be under north or south. In addition there is the problem of a new war in the west so far left out of peace negotiations” Father Dell’Olio told Fides. (L.M.) (Fides Service 8/1/2004, lines 47 words 599)
