Document
The World Council of Churches (WCC) is deeply saddened by the sudden escalation of conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of Sudan's transitional governing Sovereign Council, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
Armed clashes have been taking place since 15 April in Khartoum and elsewhere in Sudan, with the deaths of approximately 100 civilians currently reported. The armed violence and instability, which has also resulted in the deaths of three UN staff, has resulted in the suspension of World Food Programme and other humanitarian operations in Sudan.
Many people – including staff of the Sudan Council of Churches – have been trapped in the offices or workplaces due to the unforeseen sudden onset of the fighting. Schools, health facilities, markets and other basic services have closed or reduced their operations.
The WCC is gravely concerned about the wider impacts on the Sudanese population, which was already experiencing significant humanitarian needs, political and economic challenges, a high rate of inflation, widespread poverty, and severe impacts of climate change.
A joint WCC-AACC delegation visited Sudan in April 2022, and heard moving stories of the struggles of the churches and people of Sudan. Those struggles have been made much more severe by the current conflict.
WCC appeals for an immediate ceasefire and end to armed hostilities, for the sake of the suffering Sudanese people. We call on all Sudanese leaders to remember their responsibilities to the people, and to work to address the political, economic, social and environmental challenges affecting the country. We recall and reiterate the statement of the WCC Executive Committee in November 2021, urging the de facto military authorities of Sudan to hand back the control that they illegitimately seized in October 2021, and to return Sudan to the democratic path from which it was improperly diverted.
We hold those who have lost loved ones, and those who have been injured, in prayer for their consolation and recovery. We invite international ecumenical solidarity, support and prayer for the churches of Sudan as they seek to fulfil their essential ministry for justice, peace and human dignity and rights at this difficult and dangerous moment in the life of the nation. We pray that God will grant peace and restore normalcy and stability in Sudan.
Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay
World Council of Churches general secretary
