The New Sudan Way Forward 2007 Conference: Churches working for a new way forward for Sudan

December 10, 2007

Rev. Dr. Haruun Ruun Lual, Presidential Adviser in the Government of National Unity of Sudan and leader of the New Sudan Council of Churches and Ezekiel Gatkuoth, Head of Mission to the Government of South Sudan Mission to the United States of America answering questions at The New Sudan Way Forward 2007 Conference. Photo: Rebecca Yount/CWS

The New Sudan Way Forward 2007 Conference was a product of the work of the Government of South Sudan’s (GoSS) Mission to the United States. The focus of the Conference was to place importance on the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) as the way to peace for all of Sudan, including Darfur, the East and South Sudan.. During two days of meetings participants explored possible CPA implementation strategies for the political, social and economic aspects of Sudanese society.

Recent advocacy work around Darfur and Sudan has pressed for US assistance to implement the CPA , as the best way to support peace in all of Sudan.

The conference was attended by the majority of the GoSS Mission to the United States staff, several US government officials, members of the Sudanese Diaspora, and representatives from numerous education, advocacy and faith- based non-governmental organizations (NGO). Slava Kirr Mihyamed’s, First Vice- President of the Government of Sudan and President to the GoSS, and numerous GoSS officials, came to the U.S. for meetings with U.S. officials, and several members of the delegation stayed to participate in the conference.

The message from all the speakers was to see Sudan through the struggles of instituting the CPA.. Participants emphasized the great importance of support for the CPA by Sudanese nationals, members of the Diaspora, and the international community.

Sudan is a nation of many divisions. Joseph Agoloy, a member of the Sudanese Diaspora serving as a South Sudanese community leader in North Carolina said, “The communities are divided, [in] my opinion, not because they want to be divided, but because they were never united as a nation in the past.” The groups doing the most to bring unity to the people of Sudan are the churches. Rev. Dr. Haruun Ruun Lual, Presidential Advisor to the Government of National Unity and leader in the New Sudan Council of Churches, and Ezekiel Garkouth, Head of Missions for the Government of South Sudan Mission to the United States of America, affirmed that much needs to be done in the way of bringing people together. According to them, churches have been the primary agent for dialogue regarding peace and reconciliation .

While much assistance is being given by the UN, NGO’s, civil societies, and some international government agencies, churches are the only organizations making affective efforts to change the daunting conversation of unity and division. Dr. Lual said, “Peace and reconciliation are needed to unite Sudan. This discussion of it is healthy and a good start. But we have to keep talking about it, because eventually something more will come out of it.”

To find out how Church World Service is responding to the conditions in Darfur and South Sudan and assisting our Sudanese partners to work for peace in all of Sudan visit http://www.churchworldservice.org/news/Sudan/index.html.