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.

How the South Sudanese bishops are working to promote peace

According to the president of the Sudanese Bishops’ Conference, in order to achieve peace in South Sudan, patience and humility must be shown by both its leaders. The conference’s president Bishop Kussala recently spoke with the Catholic News Agency about the current situation in Sudan and what local bishops have been doing to promote peace in the area.  “We have tried to keep the momentum, to continue to work harder and make sure peace is actually in this country…. It has again energized us to serve the leaders and the people,” said Kussala.

Kussala says the two sides will have to work through years of mistrust and violence. He believes there is no quick fix to peace and it will take a great amount of time to progress fully.  Even in the midst of this bleak situation, Kussala and the Diocese of Tombura-Yambio have hosted peace retreats for around 10,000 young fighters who have been involved in the country’s violence.  Their hope is to prepare the communities for reconciliation and forgiveness.

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Record number of South Sudanese face critical lack of food

Almost seven million South Sudanese civilians are at risk and face a critical lack of food according to a new report released by the South Sudanese government and the United Nations.  Almost two million people are near starvation nine months after a peace deal ended the five-year civil war.

The report suggests the food shortages are exacerbated by delayed rainfall, economic crisis and a year of strain from a conflict that killed almost 400,000 people.  Some South Sudanese, including children, have reported eating only once per day.

Breaking the hunger cycle will rely on whether the fragile peace deal signed in September of 2018 will hold.  While the fighting has decreased, combats have still broken out between government and rebel groups in the Central Equatoria state.  In May of 2019, the government and opposition delayed the next steps in the peace deal by six months.  Progress remains slow.

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