General Convention 2012 on Sudan and South Sudan

Here is the full text of the resolution on Sudan and South Sudan passed at the 77th General Convention of the Episcopal Church:

A019 Continue Advocacy for Peace in Sudan

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That the 77th General Convention calls for continued advocacy and prayer from all Episcopalians for peaceful resolution of the conflict in Abyei along the unsettled border between Sudan and South Sudan, and in the Blue Nile South Kordofan, and Darfur regions of Sudan; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention expresses sincere gratitude to the Episcopal Church in the Sudan for its continued leadership toward the goal of a just peace in the region; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention heartily commends Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul Yak for his leadership and substantial personal involvement in repeatedly mediating and stopping interethnic conflicts in Jonglei and elsewhere in South Sudan, as well as ECS’ continued efforts to promote peaceful conflict resolution of ethnic and other disputes in South Sudan; and be it further

Resolved, That General Convention urges the United States government continue its strong support of international efforts for full implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between the Sudan and South Sudan , transparency in accounting for oil revenues, and normalization of relations between the two countries, including issues of trade, immigration, citizenship, and protection of the rights of religious minorities in both countries, including Christians in Sudan, to practice their faith without official interference or discrimination.

EXPLANATION

For two decades, Sudan was involved in a bloody civil war between the north, government of Sudan in Khartoum, the National Congress Party (NCP) and rebellion in the south, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and other rebel groups. This civil war, which was described as one of the worst civil wars in Africa, cost millions of lives. In 2005, a Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between Khartoum’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) was signed. The CPA ended the two-decade-long civil war, and after a referendum conducted by the United Nations, the Republic of South Sudan became a separate nation state. Recently, the government of Sudan in Khartoum lodged a complaint with the U.N. Security Council accusing the Republic of South Sudan of supporting rebel groups in the country’s border-states of Blue Nile and South Kordofan. This renewed conflict threatens the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), and the peace and stability of the region. According to political observers, the renewed conflict is rooted in unimplemented provisions of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement. The issues include the failed democratic transformation of Sudan, stymied popular consultations, and the unresolved status of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) forces indigenous to the North.

Printed: Thursday, July 12, 2012 at 12:59 AM.