Churches pray for peace in Western Equatoria

By Richard Ruati

August 31, 2009 (YAMBIO) — Various church denominations in Western Equatoria State have resorted into prayers as the only means to attain peace and to bring an end to dire humanitarian need in the region.

The Inter-Church Committee schedules for Ecumenical prayer for peace in Western Equatoria State accompanied by three days of fasting, and will culminate with solemn processing and public prayers in Yambio freedom square on Wednesday 2nd of September 2009 and holy masses started last Sunday evening at various denominations of WES.

The Inter-church in Yambio is under the guidance of Rt. Rev Peter Munde of the Episcopal Church of Sudan Yambio Diocese and Rt. Rev Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussula of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio.

The three days prayer services will observe fasting under the theme of “Marching together in prayer for peace.”

In public communiqué released by the chairperson of Inter-Church Committee (ICC) Rev Edward Nzeme of Lutheran church in Sudan, the statement stated that, “the intention for the prayers and fasting come as a result of the unrest situation in Western Equatoria caused by the brutal LRA insurgencies since the signing of CPA to this date. Despite all the efforts made by our government to stop these foreign aggressors, they continue the atrocities of killing, abducting, displacing, looting and destroying their properties all over the state.”

The latest barbaric attacks by LRA have scattered thousands of WES citizens away from their houses. LRA late last year stepped up attacks and reprisal killings, burning, looting and abducting many children and women in the region, following a joint Lighting Thunder Operation against them in mid December 2008 and more than 50,000 villagers have emptied their farms in fear being hacked to death.

The ICC says that, with all these efforts rendered in vain, the Churches have finally resolved to Prayers as the ardent means to solve the problems in the region.

The Prayers and fasting start on Sunday 30th August 2009 at the various churches and continue through Monday, Tuesday and end on Wednesday with the March of all the churches to Freedom square on bare foot from Nagori Parish Church ECS.

Since the Joint military Operations and manhunt for Kony and his cruel men, Ugandan rebels continue to drive thousands from their homes in Western Equatoria State.

Fresh attacks carried out by the notorious Ugandan rebel group have uprooted thousands of people and spreading panic in Western Equatorial region, forcing the United Nations to suspend its humanitarian work in Ezo County, the world body’s refugee arm said in its website.

TIMELINE OF LRA RECENT ACTIVITIES IN WES

The 12 August attacks by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Ezo County, in the remote Western Equatoria region near Sudan’s border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), reportedly killed two people and injured three others.

The rebels also abducted 10 girls from a local church, and they pillaging and torching homes, and stealing food.

The following day, the LRA struck again in Bereamburu village in Nzara County, burning down the local church and health center, as well as looting medical supplies.

On 13 August, as a result of the intensifying LRA attacks, the UN was forced to suspend all humanitarian activities in the area, and 29 humanitarian workers, including seven UNHCR staff, were evacuated by helicopter.

On 13th LRA Rebels yesterday attacked Tii Bakäikpä at Sakure Payam, forcing more civilians to flee their residents.

The recent LRA attacks have triggered widespread panic and fear in the area bordering the DRC and the Central African Republic (CAR). Most of those on the run have already been uprooted by earlier LRA incursions.

Close to two thousand re-displaced persons have outpoured to Yambio from Ezo County, one hundred miles from Yambio state Capital in search of food and protection.

In an interview with BBC Network Africa, Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro of Tombura-Yambio Diocese revealed that, “the people of WES feel they are abandoned.”

“The joint operation against LRA is a total failure, and it has brought misery on the innocent civilians of WES.”

The upcoming General Elections and referendum may become a total failure in Western Equatoria State, people are depressed they may not listen and take part, warned the God fearing Bishop.

The Bishop reiterated that, the Prayers and Fasting in WES is a non-violent protest to draw attention of International Community of what is happening in WES, urging international community to intervene before it is too late, like what happened in Rwanda and now happening in Darfur.

HUMANITARIAN CATASTROPHE

The Dire Humanitarian conditions in WES are deteriorating dramatically. There are reportedly more than seventy thousand IDPs urgently in need of help in and around WES.

Among the IDPs, half of that number is children under the age of five who are fighting for their lives on a daily basis.

Barely thousands of school children from the emptied villages are not receiving education, as their parents have moved with them from one place to another in fear of LRA rebels surprise abductions.

Most of the displaced are crammed into individual internment camps or into the houses of persons known to the internal displaced persons households in the counties of Nzara, Yambio, Ezo, Maridi, Ibba and Mundri, with some scattered all over the state.

This is the second Ecumenical prayer is being organized in WES in plea of peace, the first one was held in February this year.

Last June, the Catholic Humanitarian agency, Caritas International, warned that, “Crisis in Western Equatoria is getting out of hand and could result to a permanent catastrophe.

In his meeting last June with the Caritas International, Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro had hinted that, “Sudan faces a lot of challenges. There is ongoing humanitarian crisis. People don’t have access to healthcare, education, water and protection from higher levels of violence.”

A shaky peace holds in the Sudan and most of the refugees who fled decades of fighting have returned to their homes. However, the fear of being abducted by LRA rebels has overtaken them.

The prayers service for peace in WES comes after four years since the CPA was signed. Since then some parts WES have virtually never felt total peace. Plunged by tribal fighting in 2005, LRA attacks since 2006 and Ambororo environmental impact, WES citizens barely enjoy peace.

(ST)