Sudan: The Archbishop & Bishop of Khartoum Ezekiel Kondo appeals for peace in Christmas message

From Anglican Communion News Service - anglicannews.org
Dated December 18, 2023 2:05 PM - here is a copy in full:

Archbishop of the Episcopal Church of Sudan appeals for peace in Christmas message

Archbishop Ezekiel Kondo (Photo Credit: ACNS)

The Archbishop of the Province of the Episcopal Church of Sudan, the Most Revd Ezekiel Kondo, appealed for peace in his Christmas letter recently. He said: “I appeal to the two warring parties, Sudanese Army and Rapid Support Forces and their supporters on this special occasion to consider putting the guns beyond use and silence them for peace as a matter of urgency. Continuing using guns, there will be no people left to rule over nor will there be a country called Sudan to live in. Enough is enough to the suffering of innocent people. Enough is enough to death.”  

Archbishop Ezekiel’s Christmas message describes how communities in the country have been adversely affected since the start of the war, particularly Khartoum, Darfur, El Obeid and Kadugli. He also writes about communities in other states affected by flooding. “Many people lost their lives and no one is burying them, while many got injured and still many missing. People live in fear because of bullets, hunger and health reasons. People lost their properties while they live as displaced in their homeland and still others as refugees in foreign countries. People’s lives are like living in darkness and they see no future. I salute the Bishops who are with their people in the Dioceses of El Obeid, Kadugli, Port Sudan, Wad Medani and particularly the Clergy in the Diocese of Khartoum. I thank God for each of them, for their faith and courage at this difficult time,” he said.   

He quotes the Old Testament prophet Isaiah and likens what the prophet says to the current situation in Sudan. “But he gives a message of hope and courage. In the darkness, the light is shown. ‘The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire’. (Isa. 9:1-2; 4-9) He speaks about a son who is a King and who comes with great power whose government will last forever and he will rule with justice, righteousness, and people will live in peace,” explains Archbishop Ezekiel.   

He concludes his message with thanking God for his faithfulness and appealing to the country’s leaders for peace, "Despite the instability, we thank God for His faithfulness, believing that he will intervene at his own time. We wish to express our thanks and gratitude to our friends and partners abroad and within Sudan for standing in solidarity, support, encouragement and prayer for the Sudanese people in general and Christians in particular.”  

Bishop Anthony Poggo, Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, said: "I join my brother, Archbishop Ezekiel in calling on the warring sides to end this war. Enough is enough! As we journey through this season of Advent Season and rejoice in the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, remember the people of Sudan in your prayers that peace will come, and that they can rebuild their lives and homes."  

Read Archbishop Ezekiel’s Christmas letter here*

View original: https://www.anglicannews.org/news/2023/12/archbishop-of-the-episcopal-church-of-sudan-appeals-for-peace-in-christmas-message.aspx

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*Archbishop Ezekiel's Christmas letter is copied here in full:

Province of Episcopal Church of Sudan Khartoum - Sudan

Office of the Archbishop

Christmas Message 2023
To: All brothers and sisters, sons and daughters

Re: Christmas is the Hope of every believer Isaiah

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:2)

This year Christmas in our country, Sudan is very different because of the war situation since 15 April. People live in a very different life particularly people from Khartoum, Darfur, El Obeid and Kadugli. In addition, people in the more stable states are also affected as they live a very different life due to the flooding of people to their states, cities and their houses. May people lost their lives and no one burring them, while many got injured and still many got missing. People live in fear because of bullets, hunger and health reasons. People lost their properties while they live as displaced in their homeland and still others as refugees in foreign countries. People’s lives are like living in darkness and they see no future. I salute the Bishops who are with their people in the Dioceses of El Obeid, Kadugli, Port Sudan, Wad Medani and particularly the Clergy in the Diocese of Khartoum. I thank God for each of them, for their faith and courage at this difficult time.

Prophet Isaiah in the Old Testament, people experienced the same situation as we today, but he gives a message of hope and courage. In the darkness, the light has shown. “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned” 

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire”.

(Isa. 9:1-2; 4-9)

He speaks about a son who is a King and who comes with great power whose government will last forever and he will rule with justice, righteousness, and people will live in peace.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”. (Isa. 9:6)

Mathew quotes Isaiah when he said:

The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned." Matthew 4:16

As the Bishop of the Diocese of Khartoum and Archbishop of the Episcopal Church of Sudan, this year I celebrate Christmas outside Khartoum and All Saints Cathedral because the Cathedral was occupied since April. People of the Church of Savior Omdurman are not celebrating Christmas in their Church because it was bombed to ashes on 1 November! Many people could not celebrate Christmas in their Churches and their houses and cities because of the war.

Thanks and Gratitude:

Despite of the instability, we thank God for His faithfulness, believing that he will intervene at his own time. We wish to express our thanks and gratitude to our friends and partners abroad and within Sudan for standing in solidarity, support, encouragement and prayer for the Sudanese people in general and Christians in particular.

Appeal to the Country Leaders:

On this great occasion on which we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace and at which angels from heave sang: “Glory to highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” (LK 2:14)

I appeal to the two warring parties, Sudanese Army and Rapid Support Forces and their supporters on this especial occasion to consider putting the guns beyond use and silence them for peace as a matter of urgency. Continuing using guns, there will be no people left to rule over nor will there be a country called Sudan to live in. Enough is enough to the suffering of innocent people. Enough is enough to death.

As we celebrate Christmas at this exceptional time some with no food leave alone clothing for the children, let us not lose faith in God. Let us call and lean on the Prince of Peace, who will rule with Justice and Righteousness.

Let us have faith in the Prince of Peace and call for the restoration of peace to our beloved country, Sudan. May the Leaders of our country see the suffering of the people and stop this war, which entered its ninth month.

I wish you a very Happy Christmas and prosperous New Year 2024

[signed]

The Most Revd. Ezekiel Kondo 

Archbishop & Bishop of Khartoum

December 2023

View original here: Archbishop Ezekiel’s Christmas letter.

ENDS

Merry Xmas from S. Sudan: traditional style in church

WHERE are the men?

See video here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1451679585563016

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Church leader’s Christmas message “to all Sudanese in and outside Sudan” especially refugees & displaced

Rafaat Mosad, the president of the Council of the Evangelical Community in Sudan, sent a Christmas message yesterday “to all Sudanese in and outside Sudan”, with special mention of refugees and displaced peoples. Read more.

From Radio Dabanga - dabangasudan.org
Dated Tuesday, 26 December 2023 - here is a copy in full:

Church leader’s Christmas message to Sudan’s Christians

'King David of Makuria', one of the early Christian (circa 13th Century) paintings found in Old Dongola, called Tungul in Old Nubian (Photo PCMA UW) (See below)*

Rafaat Mosad, the president of the Council of the Evangelical Community in Sudan, sent a Christmas message yesterday “to all Sudanese in and outside Sudan”, with special mention of refugees and displaced peoples.

In his message, Mosad wished “love, peace and abundant mercy” to all, wishing a good year on the anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ. He expressed his hopes that this Christmas will be the last one in which Sudan will witness war and conflict.

“We thank God for every church that celebrated Christmas within Khartoum and across Sudan despite the nation’s pain, as they eased the people and all those who suffer in the country by celebrating them.”

He also thanked every evangelical church and school which opened its doors to the displaced in Sudan, and “shared with them a simple bite and simple joys, shared and endured their pain”. He urged the churches and their members to “continue to do good”.

“To all the displaced, refugees and dispersed: God is with you and will not forget you.” He prayed for God’s “peace, patience, mercy and intervention to stop the fighting and conflicts in our country”.

The priest thanked God for “everyone who did not give in to despair, did not give in to death, did not give in to all frustration, and still clings to the God of hope, and put his hope on a better tomorrow because God exists and has not forgotten him”.

During the reign of Islamic dictator Omar Al Bashir (1989-2019), non-Muslims were regularly oppressed. Christian worshipers were prevented to visit churches on Sundays, and a number of church buildings, many of them belonging to the poor Church of Sudan, were demolished. Since 2017, Christian schools were forced to follow the Muslim week calendar from Sunday to Thursday.

One of the first decisions made by the then Transitional Military Council after the ousting of Al Bashi, concerned the permission to enjoy Sunday as the official weekend recess day for Christian schools throughout Sudan.

* Archaeologists from the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw (PCMA UW), have made stunning discoveries in Old Dongola (Tungul) in Sudan’s Northern State. Announced in April, the Polish team discovered a complex of rooms made of sun-dried bricks, the interiors of which were covered with murals showing figural scenes of early Christian art.

View original: https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/church-leaders-christmas-message-to-sudans-christians

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Global Refugee Forum: 114m people are refugees or displaced, 90% of world's refugees are in 40 countries

"One hundred and fourteen million people – that's more than live in Egypt and almost as many as are in Japan – are refugees or displaced. Ninety percent of the world's refugees are in just 40 countries.  Seventy five percent of the world's refugees are being hosted by low and middle-income states, yet most financing goes to upper-middle income states. Just 4% of funding is going to countries of refugee origin. With these statistics ringing in our ears, the Global Refugee Forum began in Geneva". Read more.

From Anglican News
By Glen Ruffle

Dated 18 December 2023, 1:35 PM - here is a copy in full:

Anglicans at the Global Refugee Forum

The Anglican Communion’s Assistant Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, The Revd Glen Ruffle, recently attended the Global Refugee Forum. He writes:

One hundred and fourteen million people – that's more than live in Egypt and almost as many as are in Japan – are refugees or displaced. Ninety percent of the world's refugees are in just 40 countries.  Seventy five percent of the world's refugees are being hosted by low and middle-income states, yet most financing goes to upper-middle income states. Just 4% of funding is going to countries of refugee origin.

With these statistics ringing in our ears, the Global Refugee Forum began in Geneva.

Held over 13–15 December, with side-events and build-up events beforehand, the Global Refugee Forum was arranged by the UN's Refugee agency, UNHCR, which gathered the world's states, along with NGOs, churches, faith organisations, and refugees themselves, to discuss the situation and what can be done.

The number of wars across the world is at a decades-level high; climate change is destroying agricultural land; famine and drought is increasing. Unless we invest in addressing these root causes, the numbers of refugees will continue to increase dramatically. Many will lose 20 years of their lives in government processing and relocating before they can properly settle and move forwards.

The sad fact is that UNHCR is still waiting for $400 million of funding promised by the world's states, yet never delivered. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, still host to more than half a million Syrian refugees, has only received 23% of the money promised to help. States can also work smarter: investing in much-need conflict-prevention measures, rather than dealing reactively, and with much greater expense, with every new crisis.

Anglicans, and Christians more broadly, will continue helping refugees with or without state or UN involvement, but it was important to place on the UN map, and to make the world know, that the Anglican Communion's churches are out there, doing the work, and often doing so on minimal budgets without support.

Provinces from around the Anglican Communion contributed to making pledges of what we hope to do over the next four years. Canada pledged to help resettle refugees; Tanzania pledged to advocate for refugees and ensure they receive proper care and have access to things like Savings Groups to build a future. The Province of Alexandria's Diocese of Egypt pledged to give holistic care via Refuge Egypt to help with integration of the refugees flooding into Egypt. The Church of England's Diocese in Europe has numerous projects, led by local churches across the continent, ranging from supporting refugees and advocating for them in Calais through to the distribution of aid in Bucharest.

The Episcopal Church pledged to advocate for the goals of UNHCR, support refugee resettlement and continue its refugee care. And the wider Anglican Communion pledged to place the care of refugees on the agenda at high-level meetings, to make sure Provinces discuss what they are doing and look at collaboration, and also to support the mental health of refugee children and to help develop faith-sensitive care.

States need to turn their pledges into action, deliver the money they promised and invest more seriously in conflict prevention. Beyond that, we hope to see greater collaboration between states, UN agencies and faith groups already doing the work to enable more effective delivery of support to those most in need. People of faith are often those on the front lines responding to crises and have the local trust and influence to begin to identify and address root causes. Strengthening this collaboration will be a focus of our work in the years to come.

It is not too late to add pledges from the Anglican Communion. If you want to explore a pledge, contact glen.ruffle@anglicancommunion.org

 

View original: https://www.anglicannews.org/blogs/2023/12/anglicans-at-the-global-refugee-forum.aspx

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The Anglican Communion’s engagement with the UN

THE Anglican Communion's relationship with the UN is managed by Martha Jarvis, the London-based Anglican Communion Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and by the Revd Glen Ruffle, the Geneva-based Assistant Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

"In essence, we are doing advocacy work – speaking up for those who have no voice – and trying to shape the world with Christian input to make it better. We act as a bridge between the UN institutions on the one hand and the Anglican Communion on the other". Read more.

From Anglican News

By Glen Ruffle

Dated 14 November 2023, 4:48PM - here is a copy in full:

The Anglican Communion’s new strategy for engagement with the UN

The Anglican Consultative Council is recognised as an official observer with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the UN Environment Programme. Our relationship with the UN is managed by Martha Jarvis, the London-based Anglican Communion Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and by the Revd Glen Ruffle, the Geneva-based Assistant Permanent Representative to the United Nations. In this post, Glen Ruffle outlines the Anglican Communion’s new strategy for engagement with the UN. 

The Anglican Communion has enjoyed observer status with ECOSOC since 1985. In 2021, the Anglican Communion Standing Committee agreed a new strategy to engage in more depth with the United Nations institutions. 

As part of the new strategy, the structure of the Anglican Communion Office at the United Nations was changed, to enable a person “on the ground” in Geneva, where the UN’s human rights institutions are mainly based. In August this year, I was able to relocate to Geneva and begin that role. 

Understanding the UN is a mammoth task: both me and Martha, the Permanent Representative, are new to our roles and it’s taken time to work out which institutions do what and how we should and can engage. But as 2024 fast approaches, we are really getting a better view and beginning to have an effect. 

There are two sides to our work: we act as a bridge between the UN institutions on the one hand and the Anglican Communion on the other. Some Anglican Member Churches are formidable advocacy machines; they speak out for truth and challenge injustice. It is easy to work with these Churches and help them engage with the UN. 

Others, however, are facing far greater challenges: it’s hard for them just to hold a church service each week without being arrested, let along think of submitting a report to the UN! So with these Churches, we speak with their leaderships and seek to find ways we can sponsor another organisation’s reports if we cannot ourselves safely say anything directly. 

In essence, we are doing advocacy work – speaking up for those who have no voice – and trying to shape the world with Christian input to make it better. As followers of Jesus, we believe every person is loved by him, that he died and rose to offer the whole world salvation, and that salvation includes the renewal of this world now, as well as at the final judgement. We believe we are called to protect and honour the image of God in each and every person, and in legal language, this is known as human rights. 

In Geneva, human rights are monitored in a building called the Palais de Nations, which houses the Human Rights Council. This institution reviews the human rights situation across the world, and in a process called the Universal Periodic Review, subjects each state to a quadrennial analysis. This process allows other states and NGOs to report on the situation in the state under investigation, and usually results in that state improving the human rights situation within its borders. 

When our Churches engage with this, we can pressure governments to improve and let the world know of the issues our Churches are facing. 

Sometimes there are situations happening now, and we need to speak out urgently. For this the UN has special rapporteurs and “special procedures” – people focusing on specific target areas. They can apply diplomatic pressure immediately when situations deteriorate, and let governments know that the world is watching. This doesn’t always stop atrocities, but it can reduce their intensity. 

We try and encourage our Churches to engage with this process. Very often the UN issues calls for input to ask experts to tell the UN about specific issues, and we encourage our Churches to engage with these. 

Geneva is also home to UNHCR, the refugee agency of the UN. This year UNHCR is holding the Global Refugee Forum, and so we are seeking to gather information on the work that Anglican Communion Member Churches across the world are doing to help and support refugees, and to tell the UN about this work. This will allow states, the UN, other NGOs and potential donors and funders to see the incredible work Anglicans are doing, leading to greater cooperation to help those who are forced to migrate because of conflict, climate change or lack of resources. 

There is so much work that has to be done, and so many institutions and organisations, that unfortunately we have to prioritise certain things over others. But the NGO community is lovely, and we’ve had some great meetings with organisations such as Dominicans for Peace and Justice, Franciscans International, the International Catholic Migration Committee, the Red Cross and the Act Alliance. We are aiming to build connections with the Missions of UN member states over the coming months. 

Right after COP28, there is International Human Rights Day, celebrated each year on 10 December. This year, Human Rights Day will celebrate the 75 years since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed, so we aim to join the UN celebrations – look out for our social media campaign and a downloadable resource to help churches do this. 

After this, the Refugee Forum begins – so it’s going to be a busy December, but it is a privilege to serve the global church in this way, and I often pinch myself and say “Am I really here, doing this?” God has certainly been kind to me. I hope I can be a tool he uses to show mercy to others.”

View original: https://www.anglicannews.org/blogs/2023/11/the-anglican-communion’s-new-strategy-for-engagement-with-the-un.aspx

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