Sudan Advocacy Action Forum

The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (South Africa), along with Sudan Advocacy Action Forum, issued the following statement April 12, 2013, concerning the violence and genocide emergency in Jonglei state, South Sudan.

STATEMENT  ON  THE  CRISIS  IN  JONGLEI,  SOUTH  SUDAN  

The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) hereby expresses deep concern regarding the scale of violence occurring in Jonglei state, South Sudan, and condemns   the recent killing of UN peacekeepers, SPLA troops, members, and civilians.

Reports  suggest that the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and armed Nuer youth are poised to confront Murle civilians along the Nanaam River, with the potential outcome of casualties on all sides. In the words of an official in Juba, who cannot be named for security reasons, “I  fear civilians in Nanaam river will be massacred all. Yes,  nobody will survive when SPLA will attack  from one side while Lou Nuer armed youth attack  from the other side.“

The SPLA have suffered great losses from a battle with David Yau Yau’s armed group at southeast of Pibor town. Nuer armed youth are reportedly mobilizing from Akobo, in retaliation for an attack on Nuer civilians by Yau Yau’s armed group, which took place in February, in which over 100 civilians were killed. (1)  An escalation of the crisis is therefore imminent.

The violence appears to be affecting women and children, echoing concerns from the 2011-­‐2012 violence that massacres are intended to “wipe out the entire Murle Tribe on the face of the earth,” as said in the press statement released by the Nuer youth White Army, “as the only solution to guarantee long-term security of Nuer’s cattle. There is no other way to resolve Murle problem other than wiping them out through the barrel of the gun” (2), and according to Genocide Watch, the ethnic massacres constitute a “Genocide Emergency” that has reached the level of “extermination.”(3)         

According to a high level contact who has  just travelled through Jonglei to Juba, “when the soldiers  retreated from the battleground on their way to Nanaam, they intercepted women and children who were traveling from Gummuruk to Pibor. The soldiers opened fire on these women and children, killing nine of them.  Among the dead was the wife of the Pibor County Education Director Mr. Nyabok Ngali.” According to a security brief presented to the Republic of South Sudan (RSS) Parliament last week, SPLA soldiers have killed civilians in Gumuruk and surrounding areas, including multiple children.    

A Troika composed of the United Kingdom, United States and Norway, as well as France, Canada and the called on all leaders within the Government of RSS, its organized forces, faith and ethnic groups to urge their people to stop the violence, to move back from confrontation and return to the agreed resolutions of the All Jonglei Peace Conference and urgently implement the measures therein. The Troika reiterated the Government’s obligations under the Geneva Conventions on the protection of civilians, and its commitment at the Jonglei Conference to address grievances, including to conduct investigations into alleged abuses by SPLA and others and promote peaceful dialogue. (4)

In an 8 April press release, UNMISS called upon the country’s authorities to take all necessary steps to protect civilians during military operations in Jonglei state, stating “all communities and state bodies in Jonglei need to take urgent measures to prevent  the  mobilization of armed youth to carry out retaliatory attacks that would trigger another deadly cycle of inter-communal violence.” (5)  

“It is vital that the SPLA does its utmost to distinguish between combatants and civilians,” said Hilde F. Johnson – the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in South Sudan. “People who are not taking any active part in hostilities must not be harmed,” she said. “Women, children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable and need protection.”

Yau Yau’s movement/armed group, the South Sudan Democratic Movement/Army (SSDM/A), has released the Jebel Boma Declaration, calling for “swift action to resolve the tribal disputes by peaceful means.” (6)

In the spirit of solidarity, the IJR and SAAF thus echo the concerns expressed by the Troika and in the UNMISS press release and strongly urge the RSS Government to ensure the protection of all its citizens, to condemn in the strongest form, any ethnic-cleansing related rhetoric and engage all stakeholders, particularly the youth, in an earnest and committed peace process able to bring reconciliation to Jonglei.

Eager to see the development of a prosperous and democratic future for South Sudan, we thus appeal to the RSS Government to re-engage in negotiations with David Yau Yau’s SSDM for an immediate ceasefire to prevent the death of more civilians, and to put pressure on General James Hoth to allow humanitarian aid to reach the Murle people.  

________________

(1)  Press  Statement  By   Greater  Akobo  MPs,  11  February  2013,  accessed  at  http://www.southsudannewsagency.com/news/press‐releases/greater­‐akobo­‐mps­‐condemn­‐the­‐killing‐of‐innocent­‐civilians­‐urge­‐peaceful­‐coexistence.

(2) Lou and Jikany White Army Press Statement, 25  December  2011,  accessed  at  http://www.southsudannewsagency.com/news/press‐releases/nuer­‐youth­‐have‐captured­‐lolkuangole­‐and­‐are­‐advancing­‐to­‐capture­‐al-­‐murleland.

(3) Genocide Watch, South Sudan Country Profile: The Birth of a New Nation, International Alliance to End Genocide, 2012, http://www.genocidewatch.org/southsudan.html.

(4) Press release: ‘Troika’ concerned about Jonglei, accessed at http://radioamazuj.org/en/article/press-release-%E2%80%98troika%E2%80%99­‐concerned­‐about­‐jonglei.

(5) Press Release “UNMISS calls on South Sudan authorities to safeguard civilians in Jonglei,” accessed at http://unmiss.unmissions.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=ZmjYmCoPN1A%3d&tabid=3483&mid=9133&language=en­‐US.

(6) “The Jebel Boma Declaration,” South  Sudan  Democratic  Movement/Army, 28 March – 2 April 2013, accessed  at  http://www.sudaneseonline.com/news/7160­‐the­‐jebel­boma­‐declaration.html. 

Source: UN News Service: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=44492&Cr=Abyei&Cr1=#.UVMC8OtNQao

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 

The United Nations peacekeeping force in the oil-rich Abyei area, which is contested by South Sudan and Sudan, has completed its first verification mission to make sure that troops from both Governments pull out of the demilitarized border zone.

“This first joint verification mission by Sudan and South Sudan is an important first step toward implementing all security arrangements between the two countries. There’s more to do, and it is essential for long-term peace in the region that both countries build on this success,” said Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous.

The UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) verified on Monday that during its mission on 23 March to Tishwin and the following day to Kiir Adem, which lies inside a 14 mile-wide strip of land known as the Mile 14 area, “there were no armed forces from either side in the area.”

“Both parties have begun to withdraw from the Safety Demilitarized Border Zone, which they are obliged to complete by 5 April,” Mr. Ladsous added.

UNISFA will verify the completion of the withdrawal by 12 April, according to the mission.

The Security Council established UNISFA in June 2011 following an outbreak of violence after Sudanese troops took control of Abyei, displacing tens of thousands of people in the weeks before South Sudan became an independent State after seceding from Sudan.

In December 2011, the 15- member Council expanded UNISFA’s mandate to include tasks to support a Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM), which consists of both sides and is tasked with monitoring the security situation in the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone.

After months of delays, the Governments agreed earlier this month to activate the JBVMM and withdraw their forces from the zone.

At that time, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reiterated the UN’s commitment to support the operations of the JBVMM and assist the parties in the implementation of these agreements.

Meanwhile, the Secretary-General has announced the appointment of Major-General Yohannes Gebremeskel Tesfamariam of Ethiopia as the Head of Mission and Force Commander of UNISFA. Maj.-Gen. Tesfamariam succeeds Lieutenant General Tadesse Werede Tesfay of Ethiopia, who completed his assignment on 24 January.

Ryan D. Smith
Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations
Presbyterian Mission Agency

While the international community remains silent, military force against unarmed civilians in Sudan, particularly Christians, is on the upsurge.

The largely Christian Nuba Mountains area has suffered the harshest persecution. Christian villages experienced increased bombings from December 18 to December 26. Routine bombings by Khartoum’s air force kill unarmed civilians, destroy homes, farms, schools, churches and other non-military buildings. Even weekly markets are unsafe. Some 60,000 Nubans have fled to Yida refugee camp in South Sudan. Thousands more are said to have abandoned their homes for the shelter of caves, forests and ravines. Of the estimated 1.1 million population of South Kordofan, over 70% have fled or been displaced by Khartoum’s offensive operations.

Khartoum has refused to allow access to South Kordofan by media or humanitarian organizations. Yet reliable evidence is available through unique sources such as the Satellite Sentinel Project and Nuba Reports.

Fighting first broke out in 2011 in South Kordofan when Khartoum attempted by force to disarm the SPLA-N rebels rather than honor the disarmament process specified in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005 (CPA). The CPA stated that the people of South Kordofan were to vote in a popular consultation on whether to join the north or the south. However, the process was sabotaged by Khartoum, which was unwilling to lose one-quarter of Sudan’s oil production.

In Khartoum, Christians are experiencing increased persecution. In July 2011, when South Sudan became an independent nation, many thousands of Christians of South Sudanese origin still living in Sudan lost their citizenship. Khartoum considers their presence illegal and subjects them to harassment, violence and arrests. Churches built and attended by them have been destroyed. The 2013 World Watch List of nations persecuting Christians names Sudan to 12th place, up from 13th in 2012.

It is time for the international community to take serious notice of Khartoum’s violations of human rights, crimes against humanity and genocide of the Nuba people. We must tell our government officials to stand for a just and lasting peace in Sudan. We must share this with others in our communities. Everyone’s voice is necessary.

SAAF signed on to the following letter written by Act For Sudan and received by President Obama and his representatives as well as by the members of the Congressional Sudan Caucus, who conducted a briefing July 30, 2012. 

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President,

We, Act for Sudan, a bipartisan alliance of 72 organizations representing American citizen activists and Sudanese U.S. residents who advocate for an end to genocide and mass atrocities in Sudan, write because of our dire concern for the crises in the Nuba Mountains/South Kordofan and the Blue Nile State of Sudan. The civilians in those regions face imminent death by violence and starvation orchestrated by the Government of Sudan.

For more than one year, the international community has had the opportunity to address the crises in the Nuba Mountains/South Kordofan and the Blue Nile State. The crises are unfolding in a manner and on a timeline that has been predicted for many months; however, the weak response by the international community has proven ineffective.

Since UN Security Council Resolution 2046 was adopted on May 2, many thousands more refugees have fled Sudan and found “shelter” in desperately inadequate border camps. The New York Times and others have reported deaths by starvation, injury and disease for those unable to flee Sudan or for those not strong enough to complete the long journey out of Sudan.

Just as it had forecast earlier, USAID raised its food insecurity threat level from “crisis” and declared a food “emergency” in its July 5 alert for the Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan, noting the need for emergency action because of “large food consumption gaps, very high levels of acute malnutrition, and excess mortality” as a result of the Government of Sudan blocking humanitarian access and bombing civilians. Since then we’ve seen the beginning of the rainy season which, as expected, is even further restricting the possibilities of transporting food from “on border” locations to those in need across the border.

People are starving to death and dying violent deaths because the choice was made not to intervene. This passive response must end now.

UN Security Council Resolution 2046 “strongly urges Sudan and the SPLM-N to accept the tripartite proposal…to permit humanitarian access to the affected populations in the two areas.” The SPLM-N has signed the proposal and has repeatedly agreed to the cessation of hostilities on humanitarian grounds. However, as the August 2 UNSC deadline for completing negotiations between Sudan and South Sudan approaches, the Government of Sudan continues to bomb and attack the areas and to refuse access for humanitarian aid. The international community has delayed action for three more months, allowing starvation conditions to worsen.

As part of negotiations, the people of the Nuba Mountains/South Kordofan and the Blue Nile State must not be sacrificed in order to appease the Government of Sudan as it continues its aggression in South Sudan and Darfur and continues using the denial of food as a means of war against its own people. The Government of Sudan’s blatant and longstanding disregard of the international community and its abuse of its citizens clearly defines the nature of that government. Sudan’s repeated failure to abide by the outcome of negotiations is a well established pattern. The international community has exercised extraordinary patience while trying to secure agreement from Sudan to allow the delivery of aid. Deaths by starvation have begun and further delays are manifestly unacceptable. After 23 years of mass atrocities committed by President Bashir and his government, it is long past time for the United States and the international community to stand up to Bashir.

UN Security Council Resolution 2046 states that if the parties do not comply with the Resolution, the UNSC agrees “to take appropriate additional measures under Article 41 of the Charter as necessary.” The “appropriate additional measures” must include the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid.

If the Government of Sudan has not allowed access for humanitarian aid as outlined in the tripartite proposal by August 2, then we implore you to lose no further time in acting to deliver humanitarian aid to those who are in desperate need.

We ask the United States to act to deliver humanitarian aid, with or without agreement from the UN Security Council, with multilateral partners or unilaterally, and with the urgency that is required to save starving people.

Ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Nuba Mountains/South Kordofan and Blue Nile State will not solve all the problems of Sudan, but it is a necessary first step that is clearly within the capability of the United States, even if airdrops of food prove to be the only option. Other options were available earlier, but delaying action has allowed for increasingly desperate circumstance and deadly results for far too many Sudanese under attack by their government.

The government-induced famine in Sudan is only one of many crimes committed by President Bashir, already indicted for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. It is yet another example of why the U.S. must support an end to the regime and support the movement within Sudan for democratic transformation.
We continue to believe that strong leadership by the United States is essential to ending the violence, protecting civilians and bringing the perpetrators of genocide and mass atrocities to justice.

Sincerely,
Eric Cohen
Act for Sudan, Co-founder
ericcohen@actforsudan.org

CC:
Secretary Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State; Denis McDonough, Deputy National Security Advisor, National Security Council Ambassador; Susan Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations; Ambassador Princeton Lyman, U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan; U.S. Department of State Karen E. Richardson, Assistant Director, Office of Public Engagement; The White House Sudan Caucus of the United States Congress

On July 24, Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, was the keynote speaker at a conference at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum about ending genocide. She briefly mentioned genocide in Sudan, but did not address the ongoing genocides and mass atrocities in Darfur, the Nuba Mountains, Blue Nile and Abyei, nor the cross-border attacks into Southern Sudan. Nor did the Secretary remain afterwards to answer questions.

Please help us keep the spotlight on Sudan by asking one, two or three of our leaders to change US policy on Sudan. As advocates for a just and lasting peace for all Sudanese, we do not understand:

(1) Why, after 23 years of mass atrocities committed by President Bashir and his government, the US still thinks the NCP regime will reform itself;

(2) Why the US is not supporting the Sudanese who continue to protest against Bashir and who call for regime change and democratic transformation; 

(3) Why US policy opposes regime change in Sudan.

Please help by bringing these issues to the attention of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, President Obama and Senator John Kerry, Chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Please call on Monday, July 30.

For Secretary Clinton, call the Department of State comment line at 202-647-6575 and press 8 to record your message. Suggested message:

This is [your name] calling from [city, state]. I want to thank Secretary Clinton for her recent speech at the Holocaust Museum about ending genocide. However, I am deeply concerned about the lack of action by the US to help Sudan. I am calling to ask Secretary Clinton to assist the people of Sudan in ending Bashir’s regime and in initiating a democratic transformation. If the US is really opposed to genocide, then we must end our our tacit support of genocidal regimes. We must work to stop Sudan from bombing its people and to bring humanitarian aid to those who desperately need it. Please change US policy and bring 23 years of Bashir’s regime to an end at last. The endangered people in Sudan need help now.

For President Obama, call the White House comment line at 202-456-1111, open 9:00 am -5:00 pm. Suggested message:

This is [your name] calling from [city, state]. I am deeply concerned about the lack of action by the US to help Sudan. I am calling to ask President Obama to assist the people of Sudan in ending Bashir’s regime and in initiating a democratic transformation. Secretary Clinton spoke recently at the Holocaust Museum about ending genocide. If the US is really opposed to genocide, then we must end our our tacit support of genocidal regimes. We must work to stop Sudan from bombing its people and to bring humanitarian aid to those who desperately need it. Please change US policy and bring 23 years of Bashir’s regime to an end at last. The endangered people in Sudan need help now.

For Senator Kerry, call his office at 202-224-2742 and ask to speak with a staff member about Sudan. Suggested message:

This is [your name] calling from [city, state]. I am deeply concerned about the lack of action by the US to help Sudan. I am calling to ask Senator Kerry to take a strong public stance to get the Obama administration to assist the people of Sudan in ending Bashir’s regime and in initiating a democratic transformation. Secretary Clinton spoke recently at the Holocaust Museum about ending genocide. If the US is really opposed to genocide, then we must end our our tacit support of genocidal regimes. We must work to stop Sudan from bombing its people and to bring humanitarian aid to those who desperately need it. As chair of the Foreign Relations committee, Senator Kerry has a powerful voice. I want him to use his voice to change US policy and bring 23 years of Bashir’s regime to an end at last.

Thank you for taking action,

Eric Cohen
Chairperson, Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur

and

Bill Andress and Dr. Eleanor Wright
Sudan Advocacy Action Forum

The current view in Washington D.C. and New York of the impasse between Sudan and South Sudan lays blame on both sides as if these two separate sovereign nations were morally equivalent. Nothing could be further from the truth. South Sudan, however imperfectly, governs by consent of the electorate, permits practice of any religion and allows its citizens to speak any language they choose. Al-Bashir, in power in Sudan for the past 23 years, praises Sudan’s new constitution as 100% Islamic, with little protection for non-Muslims.

To sustain a view of moral equivalency between Sudan and South Sudan, we would have to equate an oligarchy with a history of terrorizing its own citizens through indiscriminate violence resulting in death and displacement for millions with a democracy where all citizens are “first-class” and able to choose those who govern them. For a more sanguine view of South Sudan’s accomplishments at its first anniversary, please read the opinion of Dr. Golooba-Mutebi, political scientist and senior research fellow at the Makerere Institute of Social Research in Uganda. 

South Sudan hasn’t learnt to walk at one? Most of us are still wobbly at 50

There has been quite a chorus in the local, regional and international media about the state South Sudan is in, a year since it broke away from Sudan and became a separate country. Analysts have decried the lack of economic progress, the corruption, the tribalism, the absence or fragility of the institutions of the state, and the young country’s tempestuous relationship with its northern neighbour.

It soon became exhausting, reading the same lamentations in report after report. Given the flood of commentaries about what the country has achieved in the past 12 months, one wondered whether in July 2011, when South Sudanese were singing and dancing in the streets, anyone had seriously believed that after a year at the helm, the country’s government would have achieved the one thing that has eluded other African governments in countries that have been independent for up to 50 years: living up to the expectations of their citizens and onlookers eager to see the benefits of Independence.

It seemed as if many of the commentators had actually believed it would. Which poses the question: Were they that naïve? If the story of post-colonial Africa is of many failures and scanty successes, why expect Sudan to be different? What is it about the country that makes the disappointed or surprised analysts think it was predestined to be a massive success within only 12 months?

And, anyway, failures aside, there are many reasons South Sudanese must look back with a sense of satisfaction. After years of suffering under the domination of their former northern compatriots and after years of war, finally they had a country of their own, in which they could be themselves. No longer would they be second- or third-class citizens.

For those who had just returned from years of exile, the nightmare of the refugee experience, with its constant reminder that wherever one lives is not really home, had finally ended. These are not small things.

Second, with Independence came a government they could identify with, in which whoever governed them, at least before divisionism and sectarianism set in, would do so with their general consent and not through external imposition.

For all these things, South Sudanese must be happy. Living in a country where one can practise whatever religion and speak whatever language they choose is not to be minimised. It is probably easy to encounter those whose expectations have not been met, and who therefore grumble about how awful things are.

Disgruntled though they may be, I doubt they would want to revert to the “old Sudan.”

But yes, South Sudan is no roaring success when it comes to those things governments ought to do for their people, particularly in the broad area of public goods provision. Much of the country is a huge wilderness with no roads, schools or even health facilities. For a country that was caught up in more than two decades of warfare and all the nasty things associated with it before it became self-determining, this should surprise or shock no one.

The African continent is littered with countries that have not only been independent for decades, but which have enjoyed political stability throughout. All you have to do to see how much they resemble South Sudan is to leave the capital and other towns and venture off the beaten path.

You will find hardly any health facilities. Where they exist, there is little beyond the physical structures. Where there are roads, few, very few, are motorable. And where there are schools, quite a number will be under trees, not in well-built classrooms.

You will find no sources of safe, clean water. Where they exist, they are likely to be in the form of long-broken boreholes built and left behind by NGOs.

And yes, South Sudan is caught up in massive corruption, as President Salva Kiir’s appeal to thieving officials to return the billions they pocketed attests. But corruption is to be found all over the continent. In many countries it is the oil that lubricates the patronage politics responsible for keeping leaders in power beyond their welcome.

One can attribute some of South Sudan’s economic woes to mismanagement and imprudent decision-making. In the general scheme of things, this should be normal in a young country led by people without prior national-level leadership experience or history to draw from.

Indeed, for every disappointment South Sudan has caused its impatient citizens and watchers, there are numerous equivalents in countries celebrating half a century of self-rule. If there is hope for those countries, there must be for South Sudan too.

http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/OpEd/comment/South+Sudan+has+not+learnt+to+walk+at+one/-/434750/1453820/-/ts7ytf/-/index.html?

Peace in Sudan has been a priority for The Elders since the group’s formation. In October 2007, shortly after The Elders’ launch by Nelson Mandela, they visited Sudan to highlight the human impact of the conflict. In view of the deteriorating security and economic situation in Sudan and South Sudan and the human impact of the conflicts in Blue Nile and South Kordofan in particular, The Elders are stepping up their engagement in the region and seek to offer their collective experience and support to help tackle these urgent challenges.

The Elders today (July 9) congratulated the people of South Sudan on the first anniversary of their country’s independence, and urged the Presidents of Sudan and South Sudan to mark this important moment with a public recommitment to building two viable states, living as neighbours in peace.

Concluding a five-day visit to the region, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Martti Ahtisaari and Mary Robinson called on President Salva Kiir of South Sudan and President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan to meet as soon as possible to break the current cycle of mistrust. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Chair of The Elders, said:

“Peace, peace, peace is what the people of Sudan and South Sudan need most. Recent months have seen increased hardship and suffering in both countries. It is a fragile time and I hope that the leaders will do what their people need, which is to recommit to working together to build two viable states. The futures of Sudan and South Sudan are intertwined. If one fails, the other fails – one cannot prosper without the other.”

The Elders discussed women and girls’ health, education and rights with representatives of women’s groups, urging much greater representation of women in the peace process and future of their country. They also met Christian and Muslim faith leaders and were impressed by their commitment to working for peace within the South and between North and South.

The Elders commended the aid workers from all over the world operating in the region for their commitment. They emphasised that more support is needed as humanitarian agencies struggle to cope with the rapid refugee inflow, made even more difficult by the start of the rainy season. For example, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has received only a fifth of the USD 186 million it needs to address the refugee crisis in South Sudan in 2012; it has already exhausted existing donor contributions.

Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said: “Now is not the time for donor fatigue – it would be unconscionable for the world to turn away from the humanitarian tragedy resulting from the ongoing conflict in Blue Nile and South Kordofan. This crisis adds to the many other challenges faced by South Sudan and diverts scarce resources from efforts to address food insecurity and other humanitarian issues. On present trends, up to 4.7 million South Sudanese, around half the population, may be in need of food aid this year.

While international donors will continue to play a huge role in South Sudan for some time, the Elders believe that restarting oil flows is essential. Juba shut down oil production in January following a dispute with Khartoum over transit fees, cutting off South Sudan’s only significant source of revenue. This has contributed to rapid inflation and currency depreciation in both countries. In South Sudan, food prices in border areas have jumped by as much as 200 percent and have led the government to announce drastic austerity measures. In Sudan, the loss of oil income since independence, exacerbated by the production shut down in the South, has hit hard, leading to cuts in government spending and fuelling inflation; this has sparked popular protests.

Follow this link to full press release: http://www.TheElders.org/article/elders-congratulate-south-sudan-first-anniversary-independence

When we try to improve the situation of girls and women in Southern Sudan, many things  get in the way of their receiving an education: (1) their other taskings (pounding grain, carrying water, gardening, etc.), (2) feminine hygiene issues, and (3) longstanding cultural attitudes. The cultural issues are the hardest to tackle.

Through Trinity Sudan Ministry, we address cultural issues by always taking women on our short-term mission trips.  As often as possible, we put women on our mission trips in positions of respect relative to men.  Thus, women preachers teach the local pastors, women doctors and nurses treat the sick, and women educators train the teachers (most of whom are men in Southern Sudan).

We also focus on the examples of leadership by women in the Bible.

Our hope is that Southern Sudanese men and women both recognize that women can make valuable contributions through acting in non-traditional leadership roles. But where there is widespread poverty, many families still tend to see their daughters as “resources.” This is vividly presented in an article linked below, “Our parents look at us and see cows.“

In His service,

Bill

Bill Andress
Sudan Advocacy Action Forum
Trinity Sudan Ministry

See:  http://www.theniles.org/articles/?id=1256 

June 18, 2012

Each time I receive a monthly newsletter from mission co-workers Jacob and Aliamma George who are in South Sudan, I am uplifted. Perhaps this one should be called “The Great Commission by Walking Around.” Some of you may remember the term “management by walking around,” a business management style where managers check with employees, or equipment, or about the status of ongoing work by walking around. I first saw the term in the 1980s in a book called In Search of Excellence by Tom Peters and Robert Waterman. We might all be inspired by the Georges’ examples of engaging people as Jesus did through their daily lives.

In His Service,

Bill Andress, Sudan Advocacy Action Forum

Rainy Season’s here

June is the month of rain and mud. We leave the house prepared for rain. No weather forecasts, but generally the rainy season is June to October. Road construction has stopped and may restart after the rainy season. Then a drainage system will be finished, hopefully, to reduce flies and mosquitoes.

One recent day, we saw two boys on an overloaded donkey cart. They were at a big puddle and the donkey had stopped. One boy hit the donkey hard and the animal entered the puddle, but could not get out. We saw that the cart was too heavy for the donkey, but the boy did not understand us. Then a man who spoke English asked us what we had found so interesting. We told him we had learned a lesson out of it. We should not carry too much burden on us, but give the burden to Jesus. If we overburden ourselves, we will collapse. The man explained the story to the boys and we took their picture.

Fighting among the male children is a common sight on the streets. We stop the fights very often and somehow those involved understand us and listen.

Our next stop was at a place serving rice and fish soup. An old man with a walking stick was sitting on the floor. As we entered, he showed that he needed money. Jacob gave him enough to get something to eat. Then the old man went to each table asking more customers for money. After a few minutes, two workers came to get him out. Jacob requested them to give the old man some food. The man refused food. He got angry and with the sharp edge of his walking stick he hit one of the workers. Then he walked away slowly. A customer said, “He wants the money to buy beer, not food.”

Aliamma talked to four different people about the dangers of smoking. In the market, a merchant threw away his cigarette then and there, stepping on it. The second person said he had cut back from 3 packs to one each day. The third person just smiled, probably he would stop later. The fourth person, who was selling tobacco at the corner of our street, was advised to change his merchandise to something more useful.  Another person who was selling cigarettes last year met us today on the street and told us that he is working. Sometime ago he told he had stopped drinking and left the cigarette selling business. We prayed with him and encouraged him to stay in his stable job.

Before we returned home, a pastor from the Bam Center invited us to attend a couple’s wedding in his church, with Jacob giving the message. We asked him the details of the couple and their families so that we can pray for the next 2 days and prepare. The time he mentioned was 2:00 pm. We hope it will start by 5:00 pm, and we will take our flashlight with us for the trip home. We will take two sets of clothes and mud-boots, too.

Blessings,

Jacob and Aliamma George, South Sudan