Bishop Eduardo Kussala Stresses Need for Humanitarian Help in South Sudan

Although it is the youngest country in the world, South Sudan has seen more violence and war than many of its neighbors. The civil war that has been raging in the region for the past five years has led to hundreds of thousands of needless deaths, and more than 4,000,000 people being displaced from their homes. These people desperately need help, and fortunately, leaders such as Bishop Kussala are heeding the call.

According to Kussala, the U.S. government has pulled back diplomatically but is still providing humanitarian aid to South Sudan. However, in order to help South Sudan recover from the years of war, the U.S. will need to have a better relationship with the country by working with it hand-in-hand and leading it to prosperity. The US can also use its strong influence to encourage South Sudan’s neighboring countries to help bring stability to the war-torn region.

Bishop Kussala is continuously working with partners such as the Sudan Relief Fund to raise money and awareness for South Sudan, and he hopes that his visit to the U.S. will have a major impact on his efforts.

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South Sudan President and Rebel Leader Form Transitional Government

Recently, South Sudan’s president Salva Kiir met with rebel leader Riek Machar, and the two parties agreed on a coalition to help stabilize the region and form a transitional government by the 12th of November of this year.

When South Sudan split away from Sudan in 2011, the region had already suffered through decades of war, but the conflict only worsened in 2013 when Kiir fired Machar as his vice president, which led to a violent civil war between the government and an army of rebels.

Last year, Kiir and Machar had signed a pact calling for a unity government, however, it had been delayed because the South Sudan government said it did not have the money to fund disarmament and integration of armed factions. In the recent meeting, the two leaders discussed their plans to move forward with the pact, along with several provisions, including constitutional amendments, security laws, and the amount of regional states the country should have.

With the signing of this pact and the forming of the interim government less than two months away, there is hope that this bloody conflict will soon come to an end.

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Dr. Tom Catena Invited to Speak About Healthcare in Sudan at Upcoming 2019 World Health Summit

Each year, the World Health Summit brings together 2,500 high-level participants from 100 countries around the world to discuss opportunities and responsibilities in improving global health. This year, Aurora Prize Laureate and Chair of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative Dr. Tom Catena will speak at the summit to reflect on his experience treating patients in the war-torn areas of Sudan.

Dr. Catena is the Founder and Medical Director the Mother of Mercy Hospital in Sudan, and has spent the past decade serving as the only surgeon permanently based in the Nuba Mountains. Dr. Catena hopes the insight gained from his experience will motivate attendees at the World Health Summit to find efficient healthcare solutions for people living in remote regions.

In addition to speaking at the World Health Summit, Dr. Catena will also be attending the AidEx Nairobi Conference in Africa, giving lectures at Columbia University and Duke University, and participating in the Annual Conference for the Catholic Medical Association in Nashville, Tennessee. These speaking opportunities will allow Dr. Catena to raise awareness of the suffering in Sudan and hopefully encourage others to take action as well.

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Papal confidante says South Sudan trip will happen ‘sooner or later’

Bringing peace to South Sudan has been a focus of Pope Francis over the past 2 years.  As an advocate for human rights and justice in the region, Pope Francis hosted country leaders at the Vatican including President Salva Kiir.  Pope Francis has not yet visited South Sudan but according to one insider, Italian layman Mauro Garofalo, a visit will happen, “sooner or later.”

Garofalo is the chief of international relations for the Sant’Egidio community and made the comment to journalists after a three-day series of meetings in Rome with the National Pre-Transitional Committee of South Sudan (NPCT). The NPCT have been tasked with assisting in the implementation of South Sudan’s October 2018 peace agreement.

Read Garofalo’s full quote and more here

Italian Bishops’ Conference donates one million euros to South Sudan

South Sudan is set to receive a one million euro donation from the Italian Catholic Bishops’ Conference (Conferenza Episcopale Italian, CEI.) The funds are pledged “in favor of the people of South Sudan” according to the conference and targeted to aid multiple humanitarian issues.

This marks the fourth year in a row the group has allocated a portion of the “eight per thousand” funds to provide aid in South Sudan.  The “eight per thousand” is tax law where a portion of Italian citizens tax returns are distributed to organized religion and social assistance programs.  The Church uses this funding for a variety of charitable programs cross the globe.

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Tragedy, caution and hope as South Sudan marks eight years of independence

Tuesday, July 9 marked the eight anniversary of South Sudan’s independence.  The occasion is a reminder of tragedy and struggle in the countries quest for peace.  Sr. Joan Mumaw, president and chief administrative officer for Friends in Solidarity shared her view of South Sudan’s current state with the Global Sisters Report.  According to Sr. Joan, “Many (South Sudanese) want to be hopeful, but underlying issues are not being addressed.” Sr. Joan is referring to a government peace agreement which has remained at a standstill since May of 2019.

South Sudan’s peace agreement designed to end 5 years of intense conflict remains stalled while President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar work through terms and stipulations.  In the wake of the delay, the government has remained in a transitional power-sharing state causing instability and unresolved starvation.  The peace talks are scheduled to pick back up in November of this year, however, doubt remains for this timeline.  In the meantime, millions of South Sudanese remain in a state of flux, many facing hunger and displacement.  With peace efforts in need of support, Sr. Joan encourages prayer from citizens of the world.