Bolbach, Parsons, and Valentine urge Peace as July 9 independence nears     [6-24-11]

by Jerry L. Van Marter, Presbyterian News Service

LOUISVILLE – June 22, 2011 – With violence flaring up in Sudan as the July 9 independence of South Sudan nears, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) leaders have called on all Presbyterians to pray for peace in the east African country.

The call was issued by General Assembly Moderator Cynthia Bolbach, General Assembly Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons and General Assembly Mission Council Executive Director Linda Valentine.

After decades of civil war between the Khartoum-based Islamist government of Sudan and the mainly Christian and animist south, a Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed in 2005. The agreement called for a referendum on self-determination for southern Sudan. The referendum was held in January of this year, with overwhelming support for independence, which is scheduled to take place July 9.

Alan Boswell, McClatchy Newspapers, reports:

A week of polling ended and vote counting began Saturday in a landmark referendum expected to result in the breakup of Africa's largest country into two separate nations. After 50 years of war and a six-year peace deal, southern Sudanese turned out in high-spirited droves beginning Jan. 9 in a secession vote promised under a 2005 U.S.-brokered peace deal to end the long conflict between Sudan's undeveloped African south and its Arab government in the north."

The full article >>

If you’re following the voting in South Sudan on the possibility of independence, you’ll find lots of good information on the blog page of the Save Darfur Coalition.

Here’s one report, posted on the second day of voting (Jan. 10, 2011):

Two days of voting in South Sudan

After two days of voting on the referendum for independence, South Sudan is edging closer to seceding from the Northern government based in Khartoum. With no reports of violence related to the vote, The Guardian is claiming a turnout approaching 50% of the population while the vote seems to be swaying overwhelmingly toward independence as the BBC’s Will Ross has reported he is unable to find any voters who opted to remain a part of Sudan. Furthermore, former US President Carter said in an interview with CNN that in a private conversation with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir that Bashir expressed the belief that an independent South Sudan should be free of Sudan’s debt obligations, in effect pledging to take on all of Sudan’s $38 billion international debt.

Among 60,000 Sudanese refugees and expatriates living in the United States, there are 8 designated polling places to cast votes. In Omaha, refugees are braving snow and cold to cast their votes–some have come from as far away as Fargo, North Dakota to vote.

The news has been less positive in the border region of Abyei, however. A referendum planned to run in parallel to the South Sudanese referendum has been delayed and tensions between rival Misseriya and Dinka tribes have exploded into violence that have claimed between 23 and 33 lives in the past three days. UN Peacekeepers are being sent to the region to investigate the incidents of violence.

From the Sudan Action Advocacy Forum, with thanks to Bill Andrus

This update specifically addresses the current status of the elections, the results of which are scheduled to be released on Tuesday April 20.

The Carter Center's monitoring team gives the following as their initial impression:

"While it is too early to offer a final overall assessment, it is apparent that the elections will fall short of meeting international standards and Sudan's obligations for genuine elections in many respects. Nonetheless, the elections are important as a key benchmark in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and because of the increased political and civic participation that has occurred over the last several months. Ultimately, the success of the elections will depend on whether Sudanese leaders take action to promote lasting democratic transformation." Carter Center Preliminary Report April 17, 2010 [emphasis added]

The Carter report takes a long view of Sudan's elections; however, a view anticipated by a prophetic statement issued very early in the process suggests that the people rather than the leaders will have the most to say about the future of Sudan:

"Those looking for optimism would do better to scale back their expectations of the polls and to look instead at the incredible resilience of ordinary Sudanese people and the heroic efforts of a vibrant civil society to fight for human rights, gender equality and less hunger. Inspirational leadership is more likely to come from the tens of thousands of women and men working on a new Sudan at the grassroots in Darfur, Jonglei and Kordofan, than from the Islamists, generals and 'former' warlords who still run the country." Harry Verhoeven guardian.co.uk, Monday 12 April 2010

What is critical for the Sudanese right now? Indeed, it would appear that very little will change immediately. That will result in disappointment for many Sudanese who pinned their hopes on change via the ballot box. Regardless, we believe that at all cost the Sudanese must avoid violence. We, whether Sudanese or friends of the Sudanese, must all work and pray that the ongoing phases of counting, tabulation and posting the results will be carried out peacefully and without violent reaction from disappointed voters. We join with those leaders who have called for people to remain calm and demonstrate civility during the elections process and beyond because it is only peace that will take Sudan forward in the future.

Jesus frequently said to his disciples: "Don't be frightened. No matter what, don't be afraid." God is sovereign; His love is certain; and, His justice will be done! Recognizing this, we encourage all Sudanese and friends of Sudanese to pray, and pray hard, and to avoid any violence.

In His Service,

BBC News reports that a recent study shows strong evidence of children and adults being used as slaves in Sudan's Darfur region. Kidnapped men have been forced to work on farmland controlled by Janjaweed militias, the Darfur Consortium says. Eyewitnesses also say the Sudanese army has been involved in abducting women and children to be sex slaves and domestic staff for troops in Khartoum.

More >>

Bill Andress, of the Sudan Advocacy Forum, provides the latest update on the situation in Sudan and Darfur -- with continuing genocide, but some bits of hope

The main topics in this update:

I know that you sometimes feel that things in Sudan are depressing and never will improve. And, sometimes I feel the same. However, while the genocide continues in Darfur, at least there has been no open warfare between the Government of Sudan and the people of Southern Sudan for almost four years. People live who would not if that war had continued. There is incremental improvement in health and education programs in southern Sudan. For this, we praise God. I am reminded of lines from an old American war song, "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition." But now I think it means, Praise the Lord and continue to seek progress using all means available to us. Pray for Sudan!

In His Service,

Bill

Bill Andress
Sudan Advocacy Action Forum

PS: We are experiencing problems with our website and it is not current.

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A UN panel of experts has suggested that Sudan delay elections due for July 2009 by at least four months, a senior UN official said, noting that it would be impossible to run an election during Southern Sudan's long rainy season. Conducting the elections prior to the rainy season would be problematic given delays in setting up key electoral legislation and bodies like the recently created electoral commission. Any delay could face opposition from southerners worried that they may also have to wait longer for a referendum on southern secession, promised in 2011 under the same north-south peace deal. Both northern and southern leaders have so far publicly stressed the poll will take place before the July 2009 deadline. (Reuters, 11/28/08)

SAAF Note. Other issues such as settling boundary disputes and acceptance of the recently completed census results remain before elections can be held.

Darfur ends 2008 more dangerous than ever with the UN mission unable to protect civilians and a possible war crimes indictment against Sudan's president casting a pall over 2009.

(1) "Genocide continues" was the blunt comment this week from International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, who is seeking an arrest warrant against President Omar al-Beshir over the six-year conflict.

(2) Hopes that the United Nations could bring some measure of stability to the western Sudanese region by assuming control of peacekeeping have been disappointing as the mission struggles to find its footing. By the end of November it had deployed just 12,163 troops and police, less than half its total planned strength of 26,000.

(3) An "unconditional" ceasefire declared by Beshir in November as part of diplomatic efforts to stall international legal moves against him was ineffective, and fighting and bombing has continued. (Agence France-Presse, 12/07/08)

Deployment of 6 battalions of the Sudanese Armed Forces into Southern Kordofan raised tension in the volatile, energy-rich area of central Sudan. The SPLM condemned the move as a violation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement while the Government of Sudan confirmed the move noting that it was designed to ward off potential attacks by the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), a Darfur rebel group. (Reuters, 12/7/08)

SAAF Note: Abyei, the flashpoint region which was the scene of fighting six months ago is in Southern Kordofan. A fragile peace exists in the town and area with most former residents unwilling to return.

LRA Peace Remains Elusive.

LRA leader Joseph Kony for the fourth time this year, on November 30, refused to sign the Final Peace Agreement after agreeing to do so. Indications are that Uganda and Southern Sudan continue to seek peace. (various reports)

SAAF Note: Recent reports, two of which appear below, reinforce the view that northern Sudan is still an arbitrary, security state and little has changed since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005.  

•          UN rights boss slams dissident detentions in Sudan. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that Sudanese authorities routinely arrest and detain political dissidents illegally and subject many to mistreatment and torture. Furthermore, women, children and relatives of criminal suspects are also arbitrarily detained by Sudanese police, intelligence, and military forces. Excerpts from the report note: "Ill-treatment and torture are repeatedly used to intimidate detainees, to punish them, to extract information or to force them to incriminate themselves or others," it said. "In some cases death threats are made against detainees prior to their release to prevent them from speaking out about the abuses they suffered in detention." (Reuters, 11/28/08) 

This announcement comes from the Save Darfur Coalition, an alliance of over 180 faith-based, advocacy and humanitarian organizations whose mission is to raise public awareness about the ongoing genocide in Darfur and to mobilize a unified response to the atrocities that threaten the lives of more than two million people in the Darfur region.

Have you heard of divestment? It's one of the key tactics that was successfully used to end apartheid in South Africa.

It refers to the act of withdrawing investments from companies that support the genocide in Darfur by doing business with the government of Sudan and offers a powerful way to put economic pressure on the Sudanese government to cooperate with international efforts to end the genocide.

The good news is that divestment is already taking place in the United States. Eight courageous states (California, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont) have enacted divestment resolutions that will withdraw the states' pension funds from any companies doing business with Sudan.

The bad news is that the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) is trying to stop them!The NFTC recently successfully challenged Illinois's state divestment law in court, arguing that the state of Illinois was violating the Constitution by trying to conduct its own foreign policy in opposition to federal foreign policy.

Please help secure the rights of states to fight the genocide in Darfur by urging your Senators to support a new bill that would stop the NFTC's attacks. Click here to send a message to your Senators now.

This new bill, the Sudan Divestment Authorization Act, would make clear that state divestment is perfectly in line with U.S. foreign policy, thereby rendering the NFTC's argument moot, and protecting Illinois and other states from similar lawsuits. No state should be obligated to invest its citizens' retirement funds in genocide.

Please help make sure that your state has the right to fight the genocide in Darfur. Click here now to contact your Senators to urge them to support this new bill.

Thank you again for your dedication to ending the violence in Darfur.

Best regards,

David Rubenstein
Save Darfur Coalition

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From Sojourners:

Join Us This Weekend to End Genocide in Darfur

Religious groups from left to right have been deeply concerned about the genocidal killing that continues in Darfur, in the western area of Sudan. The US government has joined many others in the UN in calling for an end to the killing – so far, to little effect.

Nat Hentoff of The Village Voice now reports (based on earlier reporting by the Los Angeles Times) that "the CIA, with the blessings of the Bush administration, is closely connected to the horrifying government of Lieutenant General Omar Hassan Ahmed Bashir, the head perpetrator of the ongoing genocide in Darfur." So while the White House offers humanitarian aid, it has not supported stronger action against the Sudanese government because it is working in partnership with Bashir to gain more intelligence information in its "war on terror."

The Sudan Advocacy Action Forum (SAAF) announces the launch of its new Web site at www.sudanadvocacy.com

Sharing news and advocacy information on Sudan, the site is a ministry of The Sudan Advocacy Action Forum, organized as a Christian grassroots effort to advocate for a just and lasting peace in Sudan.

SAAF is comprised of dedicated individuals with complementing skills who have come together to increase advocacy efforts and outreach focused on Sudan. Rapid growth of SAAF has come through the PCUSA, Reformed Church in America, and individual congregations of other denominations and non-denominational groups. While SAAF gets administrative support from the Presbyterian Church (USA), it is an ecumenical group primarily of Christians united in the same goal to work together to achieve a just and lasting peace in Sudan.

We've received this plea from FaithfulAmerica.org -- "an online community of people of faith who want to build a more just and compassionate nation."

In Darfur, Sudan, 1,000 people are dying every day, and that number is rising. Over one million black Africans have been bombed and burnt out of their villages, and their crops and water supplies destroyed by Arab "Janjaweed" militias. The Government-backed Janjaweed surround the refugee camps and block life-giving food and medicine getting through. Anyone leaving is raped or killed.

The US Government estimates that 370,000 human beings are already dead or certain to die of starvation in these extermination camps. Up to 1 million could die within the next few months.

As people of faith and members of the human family, we cannot let this horror continue. Our government's response so far has been slow and weak. Only an immediate international humanitarian intervention to protect the people of Darfur and ensure aid gets to them will stop the slaughter. Click below to send a fax to Congress telling them to vote for the bi-partisan House and Senate Resolutions demanding the US take these actions to stop the genocide in Darfur:

http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M6462004431215247529555&iEvent=53987

We must act now. The people of Darfur need a miracle, and are praying for it. We must ask ourselves whether we are the instruments through which that miracle can happen.

Just click here to send a fax to your representative and senators.

The faith community has mobilized to address this moral outrage. Daily, peaceful protests at the Sudanese Embassy in Washington DC have echoed protest tactics used against Apartheid in South Africa. Religious leaders, celebrities and political leaders are being arrested each day in acts of civil disobedience, including Reverend Bob Edgar, Congressman Charlie Rangel, and actor Danny Glover.

Blessings,
The FaithfulAmerica.org Team

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has provided $100,000 from One Great Hour of Sharing and designated funds to help in the relief efforts.

Click here to read the latest report, and to send your own contribution.

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The U.S. can help end the genocide in Darfur

Writing in the Boston Globe, John Shattuck says that it's very late, but still not too late for the United States to act to stop the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. First we must put aside partisan differences, for many conservatives (including conservative Christians) are already acting to help in the situation, and others can join them. Second, we must push for strong international action - and the recent visit by Secretary of State Colin Powell suggests that he can be urged to exercise strong leadership, both in Washington and in the UN.

And finally, he says, " we should recognize this as an opportunity for the United States to begin to reestablish its role in the world as a defender of human rights."

John Shattuck, author of Freedom on Fire: Human Rights Wars and America's Response, is CEO of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.

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A background report:  Ethnic cleansing in Darfur threatens peace negotiations in Sudan

Leon Spencer, in an article posted by the Presbyterian Washington Office, traces the complex roots of the current crisis in Sudan, and especially in the area of Darfur.

In one grim sentence he sums it up: "It is the classic situation of Sudan: political marginalization, a mono-cultural approach to a multi-cultural reality, insecurity, severe underdevelopment, religious persecution, and human rights abuses."

He sees some hope in growing international involvement in the situation - by the UN and the African Union - and tentative steps toward a cease-fire.

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