Archbishop Justin Badi joined Bishop Anthony Poggo, the secretary general of the Anglican Communion Office, Bishop Stephen, and others for a webinar sharing news on the humanitarian crisis in Sudan and South Sudan.
Archbishop Justin is the Archbishop of the Episcopal Church in South Sudan. He was also joined by Karimi Kinoti, who works with church leaders in the region in peacebuilding, and Canon Ian Woodward, of the Salisbury-Sudans partnership. The partnership has been supporting the Sudanese and South Sudanese church for more than 50 years.
The webinar was hosted by the diocese in collaboration with the partnership.
More than 1,000 days of conflict in Sudan have sparked a huge humanitarian crisis, described by the UN as the largest in the world, with 25 million people in need of urgent food aid, more than eight million of whom have been forced to flee their homes.
There are fears that South Sudan is sliding into another civil war, with the vice president awaiting trial, accused of being behind an attack on an army base, and renewed fighting between government troops and opposition militias.
Archbishop Justin urged Christians to pray “for the spirit of God to soften the hearts of our political leaders, that they look to the suffering of the people and work for peace”. He also spoke of the critical work of the Mothers' Union in South Sudan.
“The Church in Sudan and South Sudan actually relies on the support of the Mothers’ Union. They have the great support and the great voice because those who go to war are the husbands of Mothers Union [members], or they are sons or brothers.”
He described how Mothers Union members walked the streets of South Sudan’s capital, Juba, praying and crying for peace, and were witnesses for the entire nation.
“It is the Mothers' Union who mobilise themselves to give support [to the displaced] while men only talk it is too much; the Mothers’ Union are always in action.
Bishop Anthony, a former refugee from South Sudan, also called for prayer that political leaders would put ordinary people’s needs first.
Ms Kinoti said: “Pray for church leaders, for unity, and that God will give them wisdom, clarity and courage.”
Archbishop Ezekiel Kondo of Sudan was unable to join the webinar, but he sent an update to be read out. He said: “For over a thousand days now, people of Sudan continue to suffer, particularly in the greater Darfur, greater Kordofan (Nuba Mountains), and in the relatively peaceful regions, there is a lack of basic needs of life.
“Nobody knows how and when peace will come. But still, there is hope. Last Monday, Khartoum airport was reopened and Sudan airways landed at the airport for the first time in nearly three years. This is the hope for peace in Sudan.
“War must end. I have been saying all along that weapons must stop being flown to Sudan if the war is to end. Let food be flown to Sudan instead of weapons.”
Watch a recording of the webinar here: Crises in the Sudans Webinar