AFRICA/SUDAN - "Stop the war in South Kordofan and Blue Nile" is what 350 African civil societies ask for

Khartoum (Agenzia Fides) - Stop the war between the Sudanese army and SPLM-N (Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North) in South Kordofan and Blue Nile. This is the appeal launched by 350 African civil societies on the eve of the African Union meeting on the Sudan, which opens tomorrow, January 25, in Addis Abeba (Ethiopia).
In its appeal, the coalition of civil society points out that for over 18 months more than 700,000 civilians, mostly women, children and the elderly, have been living in precarious conditions in the territories in the hands of rebels in South Kordofan and Blue Nile, subjected to aerial bombing of civilian areas by the Sudanese Armed Forces.
The coalition calls on African leaders to take decisive and firm action to demand an end to the violence and avoid losing an entire generation of children by war. The signatories demanded a cessation of hostilities, unhindered humanitarian assistance for all civilians in need, and direct talks between the two parties to peacefully resolve their long-standing grievances.
The conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile is one of the forgotten wars of Africa and the world. Last November, Mgr. Macram Max Gassis, Bishop of El Obeid, in an interview with Fides Agency had launched a dramatic appeal to remember the civilian victims of the Nubi Mountains (which are part of South Kordofan, see Fides 29/11/2012 ). (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 24/01/2013)