Darfur, 30 June, 2023 / 9:45 pm (ACI Africa).
Various associations of Christian leaders in Africa and their global partners are calling on the African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to act immediately and stop the “genocide” in Sudan’s Darfur region.
In a statement shared with ACI Africa Friday, June 30, members of the Association Member Episcopal Conferences of Eastern Africa (AMECEA), the Fellowship of Christian Councils and Churches in the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa (FECCLAHA), All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), ACT Church of Sweden (CoS), Bread for the World (BfW), and the World Council of Churches (WCC) say they are “deeply concerned” about reports from Darfur.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has been accused of waging war in the Darfur region, alongside the ongoing conflict with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), the latter having started on April 15.
On June 15, the United Nations (UN) Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, warned about increasing inter-communal violence that is likely to reignite the “deadly violence” that took place in the Darfur region 20 years ago.
In the four-page document that was issued June 24, the representatives of the various bodies say, “We, members of the different ecumenical organizations based in Africa and international partners … having participated in a virtual meeting on 25 May 2023 … strongly condemn all forms and acts of violence by all parties, because such acts are against the fullness of life of God’s people.”