Inter religious committee for southern Sudan formed

NAIROBI, March 29, 2004 (Catholic Information Service for Africa) — An inter-religious committee to foster dialogue between the different religions in Sudan was formed on Thursday, March 25, 2004.

The committee, constituted in the warring south, has the duty to ensure that the tribal conflict there does not degenerate into a religious one.

Speaking during the regional Interfaith Peace Summit for Africa, held in Nairobi from March 27-29, 2004, Rev Samuel Ador from Sudan said that the war in Sudan is about identification.

He said that although the council was still new, it had managed to lay down its objectives.

“The main objective of this committee is to promote religious freedom and ensure nobody will be victimised for their religion,” he said.

Bishop Daniel Deng, President of the Sudanese Anglican Bishops’ Conference, said that the war in his country was about declaring the country an Islamic state.

“Sudan is ruled by minority north, while the southerners, who make 70 % of the country’s population, have nothing to say about the running of their country, hence the reason of the unrest,” he said.