Freedom of religion in Sudan - a dilemma

On 15 May, a Khartoum court sentenced 27-year old Mariam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag to death for apostasy for the supposed crime of converting to Christianity. The sentence was handed down after Ms. Ishag — who was pregnant at the time and has since given birth in prison – refused to recant her faith.

Sadly, her case represents a pattern of violations of fundamental religious freedoms in Sudan, which instituted the death penalty for apostasy in 1991. This is the case in only three other African countries: Nigeria (in some northern states), Mauritania and Somalia.

Such religious intolerance in Sudan is an oxymoron, as the country, even with the loss of South Sudan, still remains one of the most diverse countries in Africa.

Sudan is home to sizable minorities with distinct cultural heritages and languages; as well as religious minorities, including Christians of various denominations, and followers of traditional African religions.

But since 1989, following the Islamist–sponsored military coup led by President Omar al-Bashir, the Government has treated Islam as the official state religion, instilling in the country’s laws, institutions and policies.

Since, thousands of non-Muslims have experienced discrimination at the hands of the state. Human rights groups have documented numerous cases of state-sponsored discrimination, including the destruction or confiscation of churches. Thousands of non-Muslims have also been forced to convert to Islam, priests and church leaders have been persecuted, and thousands of Christians punished according to Sharia law.

Yet, Christianity boasts a long and rich history in northern Africa, including northern Sudan, dating back to the first century.

Read the entire opinion piece.

Many followup stories are identified here.

New regional map available

New cover! 2012.

Michelin has just published an updated map for the region [April 2012]. Some new highways have been constructed, and South Sudan is another country so borders have changed. Great for a wall poster since it opens up quite large. The previous edition dates from January 2003.

Here's a supplier in the United Kingdom. And another one. Make sure to ask for the latest edition.

In the USA try maps.com

Maptown, in Alberta, Canada...

This is what the old cover looks like. Don't get this one, the map date from 2003...

 

old cover from 2003

old inside 

Church hopes for justice and peace

 Reverend Thabo, Archbishop of South Africa, and Reverend Deng, Archbishop of Sudan

The call for peace between nations comes from many organizations. The church in South Africa has written to the church in Sudan, to encourage her.

We pray for your country and faithful Christians there.

We also pray for implementation of a real peace between the two countries and the successful outcome of negotiations.

The Anglican Archbishop of South Africa, The Most Revd Dr Thabo Makgoba, wrote a letter to the Most Revd Dr Daniel Deng Bul Yak, Archbishop of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan during Easter week.

Unlike the political states which have separated into two countries, the Episcopal Church [Anglican] of Sudan has remained as a single organization, working in both countries.

There has been renewed military action over the past few weeks, as the Sudanese Forces and the South Sudanese Army [SPLA/N] have engaged in various forms of engagement, airplanes have bombed oil well regions, they have been shot down, towns such as Heglig in disputed territories over where the border actually is have been attacked, and then counter attacked. Convoys and military bases have been attacked. Humanitarian aid has been refused. People have left their towns to avoid the confrontations, thus creating a desperate situation to deal with internal refugees. South Sudanese in the north have been expelled from Sudan.

Political statements by leaders have called on national pride. Techniques such as police crackdowns on demonstrations and outlawing certain people have occurred. Bashir has called for mobilization.

A couple of articles analyze the latest difficulties between Sudan and South Sudan.
Sudan: Country Is Waging a Wrong War Against the People of South Sudan

Active Fighting Between Sudan and South Sudan Must Stop to Allow for a Negotiated Settlement of the Conflict

Church leaders follow the revelation of God, the Bible, and their Lord Jesus. Jesus was a peacemaker and interested in reconciling people to God. This means restoring broken relationships. So it's not unexpected that Bishop Thabo finished his letter to the Sudanese Church this way.

May Sudan and South Sudan come to a settlement which will bring lasting peace with justice to both nations and all who live within their borders. And in this, may you and your church be blessed, and be a blessing to others in sharing the sure and certain hope that Jesus Christ has won for us all.

Yours in the service of Christ, crucified and raised to new life for the redemption of the world,

Thabo Cape Town

Is Bashir against the Christians?

Hundreds of thousands of Southern Sudanese Christians are "effectively being forced to leave" Sudan within three weeks having been stripped of their citizenship, a Christian aid workers confirmed Wednesday, March 21.

Barnabas Fund, a Christian advocacy and aid group, told BosNewsLife that as many as 700,000 people originating from neighboring South Sudan, are effected by the ultimatum.   

"They have until 8 April either to leave the strongly Islamic" Sudan "or to be treated as foreigners under a regime that is extremely hostile to non-Muslims and non-Arabs," the group said in a statement.
Read the complete article.

Beja situation described for Brits

In a United Kingdom charity headed by Baroness Caroline Cox, the January 2011 edition of their newsletter described the plight of the Beja on two pages. This was written before South Sudan separated. Here's just one paragraph.

The lack of political will [to care for the Beja] stems largely from the exclusion of the Beja from the political process. They hold no positions in the Khartoum government, and there is no Beja state governor. Lacking representatives in the organs of government, the Beja are ignored. Denied a legitimate means of expressing their discontent, a number of Beja were recruited to fight for the Eastern Front, an amalgamation of armed opposition groups including the Beja Congress. This has further turned the government against them, perceiving all Beja to be rebels (even if in fact only a minority have fought against government forces). A siege by government forces in the Red Sea State in 1997 resulted in 450 deaths – and when the government proceeded to ban the import of food and medicine, a further 2500 died.

Download the pdf edition, read page 10 and 11. Yes, this material is over a year old, but I just found it recently.

Church calls for peace after synod meeting

The Episcopal Church of Sudan held a three day business meeting in mid-November, and released a communiqué calling for peace in the countries where it operates. The church organization covers congregations in both Sudan and South Sudan.

Signed by the Archbishop, the leader of the clergy and the leader of the lay representatives, the document began with a reaffirmation of core commitments. The first one is to serve Jesus by proclaiming the Gospel.

The ECS synod reaffirmed its commitment to serving Jesus Christ in both Sudan and South Sudan through the continued proclamation of the Gospel, through national and international advocacy efforts for peace and reconciliation between the communities of conflict in Sudan and South Sudan, and through service delivery in the areas of healthcare, education and social development.

The post-synod document also declared with a bit of detail what efforts the church would take in each of four areas: proclaiming the Gospel, National and International Adocacy Efforts,  Service Delivery and Stewardship and care of our environment.

In Proclaiming the Gospel, the church described its effort as:

In order to proclaim the gospel, the ECS will continue its efforts of high-level political and grassroots evangelisation in order to reach all the communities of the Sudan and South Sudan. The ECS will also continue to adhere to the traditions of the Anglican Communion through use of the Prayer Book and training to new and existing pastors on the meaning of Anglicanism.

 The Episcopal Church of Sudan strongly condemned the persistent aerial bombardment of civilian territories, summary executions of innocents, and combat in civilian areas in the Nuba Mountains, Southern Blue Nile, Upper Nile State and Unity State. They went on to urge both governments [Sudan and South Sudan] to resolve any differences peacefully and not to resort to war and killing of the innocent civilians who yearn for peace. They said,

The ECS will remain a beacon of the hope of Jesus Christ so that the people of Sudan and South Sudan, traumatised by decades of devastating civil war, recognise the renaissance of their time and the hope of this new beginning.

Additionally the church will endeavour to mobilise their own local resources in order to improve and establish basic services [education and healthcare provision] to all people in Sudan and South Sudan.
To be good stewards over the land God has given us, the church said that they must ensure that our natural resources and our environment are not destroyed through carelessness or vandalism.  Archbishop Reverend Daniel Deng Bul Yak and other representatives ended the communique with a prayer:

God bless Sudan
God bless South Sudan
God bless the Episcopal Church of the Sudan

 An Episcopal Church of Sudan congregation would welcome any visitors who want to learn more about Jesus Christ, or Christian worship. There is a congregation in Port Sudan. Why not make a visit?

http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/news.cfm/2011/11/23/ACNS4985

Civil war to come to Sudan?

An excellent analysis of the political situation in [north] Sudan has been published by the International Crisis Group, a thinktank based in Brussels, Belgium. They title their document "Conflict Risk Alert: Stopping the Spread of Sudan’s New Civil War." 

What makes this piece good is that key events are dated - the process of destroying the hope of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement is clear, as are the reasons for military action in South Kordovan and Blue Nile State. The document is only about 30 paragraphs long, and will give you a good grasp of the current political situation.

The history of the CPA is reviewed, as is the internal dynamics of the Khartoum regime. The lack of trust toward international nations and groups is noted, as are the difficulties of creating a friendly relationship with the new southern neighbour. 

After listing three recommendations, the final paragraph reads:

President Bashir will undoubtedly resist any further external efforts to pursue a more peaceful outcome for Sudan, but given the increasing fragility of the regime, not least its growing economic weakness, he may be persuaded to engage with a coordinated international approach. International actors must come out with a strong voice to support a national agenda for a transition to an inclusive government. In the absence of a national political framework, and without clear international consensus to encourage and support a national peace process, the conflict in Sudan may spiral out control and engulf the region.

Read the report, "Conflict Risk Alert: Stopping the Spread of Sudan’s New Civil War." 

Sourced from allAfrica.

This document has been republished at UNHCR as well.

Bashir looking for economic renewal

Since the Republic of South Sudan [RoSS] has declared it's independence, the leader of north Sudan has awoken to a new financial reality. The oil money is going, and soon will be gone.

For generations the revenue for the country of Sudan has come from the sale of agricultural products like cotton, sugar and gum arabic. When oil was discovered by Chevron in 1980, new possiblities opened up. An 1600 km oil pipeline was constructed from the oil fields across the country to Port Sudan. It opened in 1999.

The first eleven years of the 21st century belonged to Sudan. With new wealth that came from selling oil, Sudan aggressively pursued a building construction program for Khartoum, and the purchasing of military tools. The plan for Arabizing the country continued, with civil wars in the east, the south and the west, as minority groups resisted the marginalization, Islamization and destruction of their tribes and cultures.

In Sudan as a whole, oil sales revenue provided over 90% of the country's income during the first decade of the 21st century. This means that oil income was 10 times more than all the agricultural sales, which provided most of the income in previous years.

Sales of oil to China and other Asian countries provide $300-400 million US per month. After the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed, the income was split, about 2/3 to the north, and 1/3 to the south. In the south, of total revenue, new oil money provided 99% of income in 2006.

Most of the oil is in RoSS ground, and so sales of the oil will now all belong to the south. The north must seek to replace the oil revenues, or else return to the meagre income that agricultural sales brings.

How will the south spend their oil money?

The government of the republic of South Sudan has an agressive plan for creating a modern nation state. They are building a new national capital. Government services have to be put in place. Security services and military forces have to be established and maintained. They are creating a banking system, roads are being paved, a pipeline to Kenya's coast is being planned.

The government hopes to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, and provide universal primary education. They have plans to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, and they want to ensure environmental sustainability by providing clean water and sanitation.

What is Bashir doing to replace oil revenue?

A plan was announced in February, 2011, just after the referendum, to spend 3 years creating a detailed map of north Sudan. The country is attempting to take an inventory of their physical resources. In the process of making the map, the government hopes to discover new mineral resources.

Gold mining is currently the only active high value resource extraction in the country. In the spring of 2011, various north Sudanese officials boldly proclaimed that gold mining would expand, thus making Sudan rich.

The government is more receptive to foreign companies who want to come in and look for gold, iron, etc. In addition, the government is interested in processing minerals. This added value work will provide employment for Sudanese. The export of raw iron has been outlawed.

For the oil in the ground, some of it actually is within northern boundaries. Sudan plans to double the production, which will draw down the overall amount more quickly, but it will smooth out the declining revenue of the country.

Sudan is planning to charge a fee to RoSS for every barrel of oil shipped through the pipeline. South Sudan wants to pay a fee of 41 cents per barrel. North Sudan wants to charge a fee of $21 per barrel. Actual costs of shipping the oil run about $3-4 barrel.

UPDATE: Sept 2. Reports of ongoing negotiation say that north Sudan wants to charge $32 barrel, while South Sudan has moved up from the minimal opening bid to a more realistic $4-7/barrel. Read the complete article at http://allafrica.com/stories/201109020968.html

Thousands of acres of new land will be planted, to increase agricultural production. Certain lands have been subject to exclusive deals to provide crops to Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The Kenana sugar production factory has been expanded. In December 2010, they expected to plant 500,000 feddans of cotton in 2011-12. In July 2011, that estimate had risen to 640,000 feddans.

In addition to increasing production in the country, President Bashir is looking for money from friendly countries. Sudan has asked all its ambassadors to seek out connections with possible foreign investors.

Sudan is also looking for millions of dollars worth of debt forgiveness.

For east Sudan, the Kuwait Donor and Investment Conference was held in December 2010. Over $3 billion was pledged. About $700 million was pledged by Sudan itself, yet we believe this is the same money that was previously pledged at the signing of the East Sudan Peace Agreement in 2006. Still, other countries have stepped up to help by offering millions of dollars for investment projects like cement plants, roads, water and electrical improvements, and colleges.

Analysis: Bashir wisely let the south go

The flags have been waved, the anthem has been sung, and the new currency will be in circulation this week: the Republic of South Sudan has been launched, and is off to who knows where? Perdition, probably, for it is a "pre-failed state", condemned by its extreme poverty, 15 percent literacy and bitter ethnic rivalries to more decades of violence and misery. But what about the country it leaves behind?

It's telling that there is a South Sudan, but no North Sudan. What's left is still just Sudan. It's still the second-biggest country in Africa, and it still has four-fifths of the people it had before the south broke away. But it has lost a big chunk of its income: almost three-quarters of the old united country's oil was in the south. It's also an Arab country run by a dictator who has been in power for 22 years. So we know what comes next, don't we?

The dictator, President Omar al-Bashir, is unquestionably a Bad Man. He seized power in a military coup in 1989, and he is the first serving head of state to be indicted by the International Criminal Court. In 2009, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity in his conduct of the war in the rebellious province of Darfur. It added three counts of genocide last year. But he's not all bad.

By promising stricter enforcement of Islamic law,
Bashir will alienate the north's remaining
religious and ethnic minorities.

He inherited a much bigger war, between the predominantly Muslim north of the country and what is now South Sudan. It was a squalid, dreadful affair that killed about two million southerners and drove another four million - about half the southern population - from their homes. Bashir has a lot of blood on his hands. But he eventually realised that the south could not be held by force, and he had the wisdom and courage to act on his insight.

In 2005 he ended the fighting by agreeing that the two parts of the country would be run by separate governments for six years, after which the south would hold a referendum on independence. He knew that the south would say "yes" overwhelmingly - in the end, 98.83 percent of southern Sudanese voted to have their own country - yet he never reneged on the deal.

"President Bashir and (his) National Congress Party deserve a reward," said Salva Kiir, now the president of South Sudan, after the votes were counted in February. And Bashir said: "We will come and congratulate and celebrate with you...We will not hold a mourning tent." His decision made him very vulnerable politically in the north, but he stuck to it for all these years, and as a result many tens of thousands of people who would have died are still alive.

That doesn't necessarily mean that north-south relations will be smooth after the South's independence. Most of the oil is in South Sudan, but the new country is landlocked: the oil can only be exported through pipelines that cross Sudan proper to reach the Red Sea. Yet there is not a deal on revenue-sharing yet, nor even on the border between the two countries.

Bashir's immediate problem is economic. The deal to split the oil revenue equally between north and south lapsed with South Sudan's independence, and he is bringing in harsh austerity measures and a new currency as part of a three-year "emergency programme" to stabilise the economy. But the price of food is already soaring in Khartoum as confidence in the Sudanese pound collapses.

Unaffordable food was a major factor in the popular revolts against oppressive Arab regimes in recent months, and Bashir is trying to insulate himself against that by promising stricter enforcement of Islamic law in Sudan. That may win him some support among the Muslim, Arabic-speaking majority, but by the same token it will further alienate the north's remaining religious and ethnic minorities. So more rebellions in the outlying regions.

On top of all that, Bashir will forever be seen, however unfairly, as the man who "lost" the south. His status as an indicted war criminal does him no harm with the majority population at home; his failure to crush the southerners by force is what really undermines him. So he may soon have to go abroad and live with his money.

He did one good thing in his life, and no good deed goes unpunished.

Gwynne Dyer is a London-based independent journalist whose articles are published in 45 countries.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201107250194.html

Kiir's speech at the SS celebration

photo from Gurtong

President Kiir addressed President Bashir of north Sudan, and Mr Moon, of the United Nations.

First couple of paragraphs.

Your Excellency, Field Marshal Omar Hassan Ahmed Al Bashir, President of the Republic of the Sudan, Your Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations, Your Excellency Mr. Teodoro Obiang Nguma, Mba- sogo, Chairperson of the African Union and President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Your Excellencies Heads of States and Governments, Your excellencies heads of delegations, Your Excellencies Sudanese political party leaders and leaders of the three branches of our Government, Distinguished members of the diplomatic corps and invited guests, the friends of South Sudan, and most importantly the people of South Sudan,

I welcome you all to this historic event in the name of Almighty God and in the name of the glorious revolution of the people of South Sudan.

Before I proceed with my address, may we rise up to observe a minute of silence in honor of our fallen heroes and heroines who paid the ultimate price for our freedom and dignity.

Download a pdf copy.

Original at Sudan Vision

South Sudan a new nation state

See a photo essay of the celebrations on Saturday July 9, 2011, at TIME magazine.

The Big Picture at Boston.com features 36 pics, going back to the referendum in January, 2011.


Al Jezeera reports. 1 minute 35 seconds.

Episcopal Church to remain unified

Using a bible verse from the New Testament, the bishops of the Episcopal [Anglican] Church in Sudan said the church would remain a single church, even though Sudan plans to split into two nations. They quoted a verse about Jesus, "He has committed to us the message of reconciliation" 2 Corinthians 5:19b

The Church has 31 dioceses, or regions, in Sudan each with their own bishop. After a meeting in Juba in early February, the bishops released a statement about their hopes for the new nations.

There are 14 points, covering poverty, peace, unity, the Lords Resistance Army, conflict in Darfur, etc.

For our Beja friends, two points seem most important. The Bishops write,

12. Constitution-making
We call on the Governments of South Sudan and North Sudan to be inclusive of civil society especially the Church and other faith-based organisations in the reviewing and re-writing process of the new constitutions. A constitution is supposed to be a covenant between those charged with the responsibility of governance and the governed. All stake-holders must be involved and once the two nations have been formed, there must be a constitutional conference to enhance ownership of the two constitutions. We call for an inclusive government where justice shall prevail.

13. Separation of State and Religion
There has been misunderstanding on the issue of separation of state and religion. Our interpretation of this is that no majority religion should be above another and that no one church should have the monopoly of being the State Church. Moslems, Christians and followers of other religions must live in harmony with one another. Individuals of North and South Sudan must be allowed to practice their religions freely whilst being tolerant and respectful of people of other faiths.

Read the whole statement at the Anglican Communion News Service
Also at All-Africa.
.

South Sudan to become a new country

  Official results were released on February 7. Over 98% of the voters in the January referendum voted for separation. People in the south are celebrating.

President Bashir has acknowledged the results. South Sudan will become a new country in July, 2011.

Read this summary of the official results of the voting. The difficult path of nation building lies ahead.

US Envoy Scott Gration interviewed

"A greater share of the pie."

The United States of America has a Department of State, responsible for international affairs. One of the people assigned to Sudan is a special envoy, Mr. Scott Gration. He is currently visiting Sudan, and he held a press conference over the telephone, the transcript of the questions and answers is on the internet. (The photo above is from another event.)

Mr Gration answered a question about possible future of Sudan. If the south separates, perhaps the east and the west will also separate?

MR. GRATION: "We are working hard with other members of the international community to ensure that the Comprehensive Peace Agreement is implemented fully. And when that happens, it gives the people of the South an opportunity to choose their future, whether they’ll be united with the North or a separate country. There is no other process in Sudan that would – that I know of that would result in separate countries or a federalized system.

"The fact is I believe that the Sudanese Government here in Khartoum needs to work very hard to ensure that the people of Darfur are integrated fully into the North and that the Beja people and the people of Port Sudan in that region, the eastern peaks of Sudan, are integrated fully. And this is why the negotiations in Darfur – I mean, and in Doha are so important, because they lay out a future that includes power sharing, that includes well sharing, so that these regions get a greater share of the pie, and they include other issues that will actually unite the north in a way that listens to the needs of the people and does what a responsible government should do, which is to provide those public sector services, build infrastructure, and that will allow people to continue their lives with prosperity and dignity and human rights."

No mention was made in this interview of the recent Donors and Investment Conference in Kuwait.

Keep peace: Church in Sudan

Rumbek — The Church has challenged the government to ensure that peace is maintained among Sudanese people.

In a communiqué issued at the end of a three-day regional peace conference for the people of Western Equatorial and Greater Bahr al Ghazal regions and organized by the Episcopal Church of Sudan, delegates said that they were deeply grieved that violent conflicts among the southern peoples continue to tear apart our communities and threaten our future.

"These five years of peace have been spoiled by the suffering and disunity of our people. We know that development cannot come to us until there is true peace, and we are concerned for our future," said the conference delegates in a communiqué issued at the end of the three-day regional peace conference (June 1-3).

"We have gathered together in Rumbek, the Episcopal Church of Sudan, the government, the chiefs, and the people of Western Equatoria and Greater Bahr al Ghazal, because of our deep desire to find a way to move forward in peace. Let us unite ourselves, and move forward hand in hand," the conference delegates further pointed out. And they observed that the Churches in Sudan have been vital to the peace process, both during and following the war. "We are called by Christ to be peacemakers, "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called Children of God," (Matthew 5:9)."

"The Church does not belong to one tribe or one clan, the Church is universal, and will continue in its role as a light to the people, pointing the way to peace," added the Church communiqué.
During the three-day regional conference delegates were treated to lectures on peace and conflict resolution and received reports from the governors, archbishop and bishops.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201006111114.html
.

Sudan peace debated in British parliament

Parliamentarians in the British House of Lords explored the peace agreement, voter registration, the upcoming elections and the referendum of 2011 in an hour long session on Wednesday, November 4. The complete text runs about 4 pages.

It seems that the purpose of the debate was to "call for further efforts by Her Majesty’s Government as a guarantor of the CPA to avert an unimaginable disaster among our friends."

The text provides an excellent review of the current situation. Many problems are identified.

Crucial to the implementation of the CPA is the national census. On its basis constituencies will be decided, the internal border drawn, and any referendum about secession taken. Yet this census was conducted a year late in 2008 and the results, released in June this year, were rejected outright by the Government of Southern Sudan, all the state governors and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, following its claims that south Sudanese make up only 21 per cent of the population. SPLM officials have said that they estimate Southern Sudan to account for a third of Sudan's population and that they will not accept figures less than that. The 92 per cent increase in south Darfur's population is also considered fraudulent.

The role of church leaders in trying to win a peace is noted.

John, the Bishop of Ezo, has pushed ahead with his school-building programme, gaining with the DfID funders a significant reputation for the Episcopal Church in Sudan, as almost the only body that sticks with people when other NGOs have pulled back to Yambio.

Archbishop Daniel Deng  has been criss-crossing the country since his enthronement, witnessing at first hand the suffering that the people are experiencing, especially in the south. At Easter he visited the Nuer area of Ayod. He was one of a group of Dinkas. He spoke of love and peace between the tribes and discovered, after he had returned to Juba, that the trouble between the two tribes—the cattle rustling and the violence—had stopped.

Baronness Cox offered five concerns, one of which was that southern leaders have suffered under the current unified Sudan, and feel that their only hope for freedom and justice lies in independence.

She ended her comment with this paragraph.

The comprehensive peace agreement is the only hope on the horizon for peace and alleviation of suffering for the people of Sudan who have suffered too much, too long. But it is fragile and inevitably some do not wish it to proceed. The Sudanese look to the United Kingdom as a special friend, but also as the nation which has a historic responsibility to help them in these critical times. I trust that history will show that we fulfil that responsibility honourably.

Southern politician undermines unity of Sudan

[NOTE: We generally try to avoid North South Sudan issues here at adroub.net, but the north/south views are so different that we need to address them now and again. Vice President Kirr boldly spoke about some of the implications of a vote for separation in a recent speech.]

A leader of southern Sudan called on his people to vote for secession in an upcoming referendum if they do not want to end up as second class citizens, as voter registration began Sunday November 1, for elections across the country.

Read it all.
.

Churches are highly thought of

The Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) has called on churches to assist the regional administration in preaching peace building, reconciliation initiatives and development related messages.

The government says the church, like in the past wars should continue preaching peace and reconciliation initiatives particularly in tribal stricken areas across the regions, said GOSS minister of information and broadcasting, Paul Mayom.

more at:

http://allafrica.com/stories/200910280367.html

News - Eastern groups join SPLM

From the December 27 pdf media report published by the United Nations:
Three movements from eastern Sudan join SPLM (AlSahafa)

It has been agreed in principle that three eastern Sudan movements (Beja Congress for Reform and Development, the Eastern Front breakaway groups and the demobilized military personnel of the Beja Congress) will merge with the SPLM.

This agreement was reached after talks which continued for three weeks in Juba between the SPLM and representatives of the three movements.

The President of the Beja Congress for Reform and Development, Osman Musa Bawnin, told Miraya FM that they will establish the Beja Congress in the SPLM.

The United Nations monitors the media in Sudan, and compiles a daily pdf report, available here:
http://www.unmis.org/english/m-monitoring.htm