He notes that the Archdiocese of Khartoum and the Diocese of El-Obeid, the two Episcopal Sees of Sudan, “continue to bear the pressure as more people knock at the door seeking support, some are lost in the wilderness, trapped in the bombarded in the city of Khartoum and other major cities.”
“We endeavor to extend a helping hand, to be a sign of hope to families grappling with the effects of the civil war in the different parts of the Archdiocese and El-Obeid and beyond as part of our call to Christian charity and evangelization,” Fr. Sasa says.
The South Sudanese Catholic Priest further says the support may also include “food, Shelter and other essentials aid, and health services.”
He also urges the leadership of educational institutions in the South Sudanese Catholic Diocese to open the “doors of all our Catholic Schools including the Seminary to admit those our capacities can hold without charges.”
A short-term Ceasefire and Humanitarian Arrangement between representatives of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the U.S. brokered went into effect on May 22 to halt the violence that broke out on April 15.
“Sporadic clashes between the SAF and RSF have spilled, puncturing the relative calm in the capital Khartoum and raising the risk of a week-long ceasefire crumbling as concerns grew over a humanitarian crisis,” Reuters reported May 25.
In the May 25 statement shared with ACI Africa, Fr. Sasa expresses “fraternal closeness” with the Catholic Church leaders, pastoral agents, and all those affected by the violence in Sudan.
“We express our fraternal closeness and solidarity to Archbishop Michael Didi, Bishop Trille Tombe of El Obeid, Auxiliary Bishop of Khartoum Daniel Adwok, Cardinal Zubeir Wako, the Apostolic Nuncio to Sudan, the Church personnel and all the people of God who live in Sudan,” the Parish Priest of Our Lady of Fatima Maridi Parish of CDTY says.
He adds, “It is with great emotion and sadness that we have come to the reality of this war on so many fronts causing loss of human life and important material damage, huge displacement in history and fear.”
“This misfortune adds to our sorrow at a time when we are very concerned about the worrying social and security situation in our State due to foreign insurgencies of foreign armed nomads,” Fr. Sasa says in reference to South Sudan’s Western Equatoria State (WES) where insecurity has resulted in the postponement of planned activities.
