CISA NEWS REPORT:

JUBA, July 6, 2012 (CISA) -

The Catholic
Archbishop of Juba, His Grace Paulino Lukudu Loro and the Archbishop of the
Episcopal Church of Sudan, Most Reverend Daniel Deng Bul, have published a joint
pastoral letter praising the positive developments they have occurred over the
past year and expressed their fears over the deterioration of relations between
Sudan and South Sudan, inter-ethnic conflicts in South Sudan, and the three
on-going civil wars still raging in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile.

The
Archbishops acknowledge that there has been progress made in attempts to improve
South Sudan’s infrastructure over the last year, but point out that more needs
to be done to ensure that the majority of South Sudanese have access to basic
services.

“The delivery of basic services such as roads, health, education
and water has not met the high expectations of our people,” they said.

The
Archbishops strongly appealed for several critical issues set out in the 2005
Comprehensive Peace Agreement to be resolved rapidly, fearing that the two
countries are at risk of reverting back to the bloody civil war.

“Relations
between the governments of Sudan and South Sudan have deteriorated to
unacceptable levels. We reject war as an option to resolve disputes, and call
upon all parties to implement a meaningful cease-fire and withdrawal of forces
from the border region,” they stated.

The religious leaders also pleaded for
more action to be taken to help end the continuing conflicts in the border
areas, and for instant humanitarian access to be provided.

“We are also
concerned that there is no end in sight to Sudan’s three civil wars, in Darfur,
the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile. There is no military solution. We call on all
parties to enter meaningful negotiations. We also call for immediate
international humanitarian access to all these areas.”

As well as the threat
of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in the west of the country, where
approximately 1,000 people have been murdered in brutal inter-ethnic clashes in
the east in Jonglei state according to the UN, the Archbishops praised Churches
for playing a central role in post-conflict peace building amongst the
communities worst affected by violence.

“The nation has addressed some of its
internal problems, most notably the inter-ethnic conflict in Jonglei State, in
which the Church is grateful to God for having had the opportunity to play a
leading role in the peace process.

The archbishops concluded by calling for
South Sudan and Sudan to put the well-being of their people first and work
towards a future of development that benefits all.

“We reiterate the dream
expressed by the bishops of our two churches when they met in Yei in May 2012: a
dream of two nations which are democratic and free, where people of all
religions, all ethnic groups, all cultures and all languages enjoy equal human
rights based on citizenship,” they remarked.

Meanwhile the Archbishop of
Canterbury, Rowan Williams, in a press statement released on July 5 declared
that “peace is the only option” for Sudan and South Sudan and called for urgent
humanitarian assistance in conflict areas.”

“Peace is the only option which
can allow the flourishing of South Sudan and its neighbour Sudan,” the
Archbishop of Canterbury warned. He strongly endorsed the joint appeal by the
Anglican and Roman Catholic Archbishops of Juba on the independence
anniversary.

“I welcome the vision which the Sudanese Church has set before
us of “two nations at peace with each other, co-operating to make best use of
their God-given resources, promoting free interaction between their citizens,
living side by side in solidarity and mutual respect,” he declared.

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