Sudan is a ‘forgotten conflict with no winners’, say Churches

The Church of England and Catholic Church have issued a joint statement lamenting the continuing conflict in Sudan and calling for motion from the international community to revive peace.

The statement coincides with the primary anniversary of the outbreak of fighting between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) (RSF) – a Sudanese paramilitary force – and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). 

The UN says that almost 15,000 have been killed and 25 million persons are in “dire” humanitarian need within the country. According to the World Food Programme, 10.5 million people have been displaced. 

Bishop Nick Baines, the Church of England’s Lead Bishop for Foreign Affairs, and Bishop Paul Swarbrick, Lead Bishop for Africa for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, called the civil war “a forgotten conflict with no winners” and “considered one of the best humanitarian catastrophes of our time”.

They said that with “attention turned elsewhere” – a reference to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza – the conflict in Sudan stays “largely ignored”, and girls and kids are “bearing the brunt of unspeakable violence”.

“Pope Francis, in his 2020 Easter Message, reminded us that ‘this just isn’t the time for forgetfulness’, aligning with the Archbishop of Canterbury’s plea ‘to face with those suffering due to war’,” they said.

“It is on this spirit, that we must, nonetheless hard it’s, not simply shift our attention from one crisis to a different. Instead, we must always acknowledge, pray, and act in solidarity for all that suffer worldwide. For each crisis is akin to a sick child in our universal family, deserving equal love, care and a spotlight.

“Sudan, a spot with which now we have strong connections and with whose people we’re deeply engaged, demands our collective attention and focus.” 

The statement ends with a plea to the UK government and international community to do the whole lot of their power to bring about a direct ceasefire and ensure “unhindered” humanitarian access.

“It is so desperately needed to avert an additional catastrophic humanitarian hunger crisis,” the bishops concluded.