Sudanese Red Crescent Society becomes South Sudan Red Cross

By Bonifacio Taban Kuich

July 18, 2011 (BENTIU) – Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) in South Sudan has officially changed its name to the South Sudan Red Cross now that the majority Christian South has successfully gained its independence from the largely Islamic North.

Defallah Gatkuoth Kam former SRCS head in Unity state has now become the state’s new director of the South Sudan Red Cross in Bentiu. Religion and identity were two of the issues that have fueled civil war between North and South.

In 1983 Khartoum attempted to enforce Islamic Shari’s Law across the whole country, including South Sudan, which is home to some Muslim’s but the vast majority are either Christian or have traditional African belief systems.

Kam told Sudan Tribune on Monday: “As you know that the Geneva Convention is saying that, there cannot be a two national society in one country either Red Cross or Red Crescent, which is why he mean that time, we were in Red Crescent but on the July 9, when South Sudan get independent we have immediately shifted to South Sudan Red Cross according to Geneva Convention”.

The Unity state director said that he hoped that the South Sudan Red Cross would expand the region’s it works in from the three state’s that the Red Crescent used to work in. He said that they will be working hand in hand with other partners to gain more funding for newly formed national NGO’s in the South Sudan so that they can work in all ten states in South Sudan.

The focus of the newly branded NGO will remain on the health care and specifically improving health facilities and provide safe drinking water.

Kam says that the South Sudan Red Cross will be a local South Sudanese run NGO, but it will work in partnership with international NGO’s including the International Red Cross.

(ST)