Archbishop of Juba calls to welcome religious refugees from Sudan – Swiss Catholic Portal

Ibrahima Cisse, cath.ch

Archbishop Stephen Ameyu Martin, Archbishop of Juba, South Sudan, has appealed to all his dioceses and Catholic congregations in his diocese to welcome priests and nuns from neighboring Sudan who are fleeing their country due to ongoing conflicts. Darfur.

Since 15 April, the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) led by General Abdelfattah al-Burhan have clashed with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by General Mohamed Hamdan Daghlo. The battle is about General Al Burhan’s control of power, but the regime’s n°2, General Daghlo, wants to take it back.

According to estimates by humanitarian organizations UNMore than 600 people have already been killed in the fighting, and more than 730,000 people have fled to safety in seven neighboring countries: Chad, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt, Eritrea and Libya.

Many Catholic priests and missionaries were forced to flee the country. Many establishments and properties, including places of worship, were destroyed or attacked by fire from the two warring parties.

Faced with this situation, Bishop Martin called an “emergency meeting” on May 9 to encourage his parishioners to open their doors to priests and nuns from Sudan seeking protection. Catholic Radio Network in South Sudan on his site. The Association of Member Episcopal Conferences of East Africa (AMECEA) also issued the call.

“Open your doors to the ‘brothers and sisters’ of Sudan!”

The archbishop has written to all archdioceses and Catholic organizations in South Sudan to open their doors to Sudan’s “brothers and sisters”, especially the most vulnerable people coming to the country. He notes that aid from the South Sudanese government is “still very little” compared to the number of visitors. Thousands of people are still stranded along the border and along the Ruweng, South-West, and Melut (North-East) rivers. Caritas South Sudan has provided boats to help these displaced people cross the lakes. But the church faces a fuel shortage to get them through.

During his emergency meeting, Bishop Martin called on the government of South Sudan to work closely with the Catholic Church to help Sudanese refugees. (cath.ch/ibc/be)