2023-05-14 22:01:00
May 14, 2023 / 3:01 p.m
The Archbishop of Juba (South Sudan), Msgr. Stephen Ameyu Martin, urged the country’s ecclesiastical institutions to welcome and offer support to members of the clergy, religious men and women, and lay people who arrive from Sudan, where the war broke out on 15 of April.
Speaking during an emergency meeting on Wednesday May 10 in Juba, the Prelate referred to a letter he sent to all the religious orders and institutions of the Church in its metropolitan see.
“I have instructed that at least all of us should be ready to support and open our homes to our brothers who come from Sudan,” he told Msgr. Ameyu.
In addition, he reiterated his call to the institutions in the Archdiocese of Juba to “open the doors” to those fleeing the violence in Sudan.
“We should open all the accommodation doors in the diocesan and congregational houses for the priests and nuns who come,” he said.
The Archbishop of Juba, who is also vice president of the Sudanese Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SCBC), which brings together the Catholic bishops of Sudan and South Sudan, stressed: “We must be ready to support those who they will come to Juba giving them spaces to live.”
“The Church also calls on all Catholic organizations in South Sudan to intervene in the situation of vulnerable people fleeing Sudan,” added the 59-year-old Prelate.
Fighting has reportedly continued in Sudan’s capital Khartoum despite reports of rival military factions moving closer to a ceasefire deal in ongoing talks in Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported.
The violent conflict involves army units of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) loyal to General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who heads the Sovereign Council of Sudan’s transitional government, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) under the leadership of General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
According to reports, at least 528 people have been killed and 4,599 injured since the conflict began. Many more are believed to have died due to the interruption of basic services, including medical care.
In a phone call during the May 10 meeting in Juba, the Bishop of Malakal, Mgr Stephen Nyodho, noted that government aid “remains very low” as the number of people fleeing violence increases. .
“The government’s response is still very low because the reception of people at the border is very large and thousands of people are stranded in Riverside in Ruweng and also in Melut,” lamented Msgr. Nyodho.
Caritas Malakal is offering “humanitarian support” to thousands of South Sudanese fleeing the war in Sudan.
In an interview with ICA Africa, Sister Elena Balatti indicated that Caritas of the Diocese of Malakal in South Sudan, which she coordinates, is “acting directly” to respond to the humanitarian emergency as South Sudanese return to their country of origin in mass.
“Caritas staff are on the ground with those who offer humanitarian support and also fill the gap with authority,” Sister Balatti said during an interview on May 4.
And he added: “On the side of the Diocese of Malakal, Caritas as a humanitarian wing is the one that acts directly to help those who are arriving.”
The member of the Comboni Missionary Sisters (CMS) reported that Caritas Malakal is offering “limited transportation for the transfer of returnees from South Sudan in areas of Upper Nile state.”
Translated and adapted by ACI Press. Originally published on ICA Africa.
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