In Chad camps, survivors recount Sudan war horrors, many in critical condition physically & psychologically

AFTER surviving atrocities in their homeland Sudan and the perilous journey abroad, the refugees are now confronting the looming threat of famine. The scarcity of water in the camps in Chad has generated tensions that humanitarian organisations have struggled to calm. Read more.

From France24
By Agence France-Presse (AFP)
Dated Saturday, 23 December 2023 - 17:27 - here is a copy in full:

In Chad camps, survivors recount Sudan war horrors

Adré (Chad) (AFP) – Sitting outside her makeshift shelter in eastern Chad, Sudanese refugee Mariam Adam Yaya warmed up tea on some firewood in a bid to quell the pangs of hunger.

Thousands of Sudanese have fled for neighbouring Chad and found refuge in overcrowded camps such as Adre © Denis Sassou Gueipeur / AFP

The 34-year-old from the Masalit ethnic group crossed the border on foot after a four-day trek with no provisions and her eight-year-old son clinging to her back.

She said "heavily armed" men attacked her village, forcing her to flee and leave seven of her children behind amid brutal violence that has sparked fears of ethnic cleansing.

Sudan has since April 15 been plunged into a civil war pitting army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, his former deputy and commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Thousands have fled for neighbouring Chad and found refuge in overcrowded camps such as Adre where Yaya has settled.

In the western Darfur region, paramilitary operations have left civilian victims belonging to the non-Arab Masalit group in what the United Nations and NGOs say is a suspected genocide.

In the West Darfur town of Ardamata alone, armed groups killed more than 1,000 people in November, according to the European Union.

"What we went through in Ardamata is horrifying. The Rapid Support Forces killed elderly people and children indiscriminately," Yaya told AFP.

Trauma

Chad, a country in central Africa that is the world's second least developed according to the United Nations, has hosted the highest number of Sudanese refugees.

The UN says 484,626 people have sheltered there since the fighting broke out, with armed groups forcing more than 8,000 people to flee to Chad in one week.

The United States and other Western nations have accused the RSF and its allies of committing crimes against humanity and acts of ethnic cleansing 

© Denis Sassou Gueipeur / AFP

Formal camps managed by NGOs and informal settlements erected spontaneously have sprouted throughout the border region of Ouaddai.

A traumatised Amira Khamis, 46, said she was targeted due to her Masalit ethnicity and has lost five of her children.

Recovering in an emergency medical structure run by the NGO Doctors Without Borders (MSF) near the Adre camp after shrapnel fractured her feet, she told AFP women and young girls were raped.

"They systematically kill all the people of dark black colour," she said.

Mahamat Nouredine, a 19-year-old who is nursing a fractured arm and has lost four relatives in the violence, said the RSF mercilessly hounded the Masalit community before he escaped to Chad.

"A group of RSF followed us to a hospital and tried to kill everyone... they laid us on the ground in groups of 20 and fired at us," he said.

"Their unspoken goal is to kill people due to their skin colour."

'Critical conditions'

The United States and other Western nations have accused the RSF and its allies of committing crimes against humanity and acts of ethnic cleansing.

An estimate by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project puts the war's death toll at 12,000. Almost seven million people have fled their homes, according to the UN.

After surviving atrocities in their homeland and the perilous journey abroad, the refugees are now confronting the looming threat of famine.

The scarcity of water in the camps has generated tensions that humanitarian organisations have struggled to calm © Denis Sassou Gueipeur / AFP

Yaya said she and her child have "barely" eaten since their arrival in Chad.

The scarcity of water in the camps has generated tensions that humanitarian organisations have struggled to calm.

Gerard Uparpiu, MSF's project coordinator in Adre, said the influx of Sudanese refugees was creating a "worrying" situation.

"We receive them in critical conditions. They are shaken physically and psychologically," he added.

MSF's hospital is surrounded by fencing and constantly monitored by a guard, measures necessitated by the brutality of a conflict that has not spared the wounded.

"They also attacked us when I was being taken to Chad to receive treatment," said Amir Adam Haroun, a Masalit refugee whose leg was broken by an explosive.

View original: https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20231223-in-chad-camps-survivors-recount-sudan-war-horrors

ENDS 

Africa’s Primates send statement of solidarity to Primate of Sudan - “We are standing with you”

Report from the Anglican News Service - www.anglicancommunion.org 
Dated Wednesday, 5 December 2023, 1:11 PM - here is a copy in full:

Africa’s Primates send statement of solidarity to Primate of Sudan - “We are standing with you”

Archbishop Albert Chama, Chair of the 

Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA)

Africa’s Anglican Primates have sent a statement of solidarity to the “Primate and the faithful of the Episcopal Church of Sudan.”

The statement was signed by Archbishop Albert Chama, Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA) Chairman, Primate of the Church of the Province of Central Africa and Bishop of the Diocese of Lusaka, on behalf of the Primates.

Eight months on from the start of the civil war in Sudan, the statement summarises the devastating impact it is having on the lives of thousands. It states: “The conflict has taken a severe toll resulting in the loss of thousands of lives, widespread property destruction, and the displacement of nearly a million people from their homes.”

It continued: “We, the Africa Anglican Primates, meeting for fellowship and consultation, extend this message of solidarity to our Brother, Most Rev. Ezekiel Kondo, Primate of the Episcopal Church of Sudan, all the members of the Episcopal Church and the entire Sudanese community, both at home and abroad. We want to assure you of our ongoing prayers and steadfast support during these challenging times.... As the Council of Africa Anglican Primates, we strongly condemn these actions and stand united against such acts of violence and destruction.”

The Primates expressed their “unwavering support of the church in Sudan and urgently call on General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of the Sudanese Armed Forces and General Mohamed Hamdan Daaglo of the Rapid Support Forces to reconsider their motivations for resorting to armed conflict and instead engage in peaceful negotiations.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said in a statement on social media: “I stand in solidarity with my brother Most Rev. Ezekiel Kondo and the people of Sudan, as the nation continues to suffer devastating violence and loss. The civil war is bringing unimaginable agony to far too many. Thousands have died, many more have been displaced and there are reports of destruction and looting of church properties and healthcare facilities. I urgently appeal for a just peace and an end to the killing. Human life is sacred and must be protected and preserved at all costs.”

The African Primates’ statement concluded in reminding the members of the Episcopal Church of Sudan and the entire Sudanese community that the Lord is with them and that “it is He who brings wars to an end and renders weapons powerless (Psalm 46:9).

Bishop Anthony Poggo, Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, said: “I fully endorse the statement made by CAPA. I was encouraged to read the statement and extend my solidarity to the Church and people of Sudan. Let us continue to pray for a peaceful end to this conflict.”

Read the full statement here. Here is a full copy:

COUNCIL OF ANGLICAN PROVINCES OF AFRICA – CAPA CONSEIL DES PROVINCES ANGLICANES D’AFRIQUE ANGLICAN COMMUNION

CAPA HOUSE

Kilimani, Off Wood Avenue, Komo Lane P O Box 10329
00100, Nairobi GPO, Kenya

Tel:+254 703 87 87 87 E-mail: info@capa-hq.org Website: www.capa-hq.org

December 1, 2023

STATEMENT OF SOLIDARITY TO THE PRIMATE AND THE FAITHFUL OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF SUDAN

FROM THE AFRICA ANGLICAN PRIMATES

“We are standing with you.”

Eight months into the power struggle between the two generals of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, Sudan remains embroiled in a devastating civil war. The conflict has taken a severe toll, resulting in the loss of thousands of lives, widespread property destruction, and the displacement of nearly a million people from their homes. Despite the attempts of various stakeholders to broker peace and return the country to civil rule, progress has been limited, and a resolution to the ongoing conflict appears elusive.

We, the Africa Anglican Primates, meeting for fellowship and consultation, extend this message of solidarity to our Brother, Most Rev. Ezekiel Kondo, Primate of the Episcopal Church of Sudan, all the members of the Episcopal Church and the entire Sudanese community, both at home and abroad. We want to assure you of our ongoing prayers and steadfast support during these challenging times.

We are deeply saddened by reports of the destruction and looting of church properties, the loss of historic artifacts and buildings including healthcare facilities, as well as the disruption of vital services during these troubling times. The distressing sight of unburied corpses along the streets brings tears to our eyes. As the Council of Africa Anglican Primates, we strongly condemn these actions and stand united against such acts of violence and destruction.

We express our unwavering support for the church in Sudan and urgently call upon General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of the Sudanese Armed Forces and General Mohamed Hamdan Daaglo of the Rapid Support Forces to reconsider their motivations for resorting to armed conflict and instead engage in peaceful negotiations. The true worth of power diminishes if there is no country or people left to be governed. Human life should not be sacrificed for selfish ambitions or personal interests in the pursuit and exercise of power.

We emphasize that human life is sacred and must be respected and preserved at all costs.

The dire situation in Darfur and the precarious conditions faced by displaced individuals seeking refuge paint a distressing picture—escaping one perilous situation only to face another. This ongoing war in Sudan must cease, and we earnestly appeal to the two generals and their supporters to recognize the urgency of ending the suffering endured by their fellow countrymen and women.

To the members of the Episcopal Church of Sudan and the entire Sudanese community, we, your spiritual fathers, offer our assurance. Though you may feel surrounded and perplexed, do not despair or sense abandonment. Remember, the Lord is with you; it is He who brings wars to an end and renders weapons powerless (Psalm 46:9). We stand in solidarity with you during these challenging times, upholding you daily in our prayers.

Remember, the Lord of Hosts is with you and He bids you PEACE

[signed by]

MOST REV. DR. ALBERT CHAMA
CAPA CHAIRMAN, PRIMATE OF THE CHURCH OF THE PROVINCE OF CENTRAL AFRICA AND BISHOP OF THE DIOCESE OF LUSAKA

For and on Behalf of

Most Rev. Dr. Samy, Province of Alexandria
Most Rev. Sixbert Macumi, Province of the Anglican Church of Burundi
Most Rev. Georges Titre Ande, Province de L’Eglise Anglicane du Congo
Most Rev. Carlos Mashine, Iglesia Anglicana de Mozambique e Angola
Most Rev. Dr. James Richard Wang Yin Song, Church of the Province of Indian Ocean 

Most Rev. Dr. Jackson Ole Sapit, Anglican Church of Kenya
Most Rev. Henry C. Ndukuba, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)
Most Rev. Dr. Laurent Mbanda, L’Eglise Episcopal au Rwanda
Most Rev. Dr. Thabo Makgoba, Anglican Church of Southern Africa
Most Rev. Dr. Justin Badi Arama, Episcopal Church of South Sudan
Most Rev. Dr. Maimbo Mndolwa, Anglican Church of Tanzania
Most Rev. Dr. Stephen Kaziimba, Church of the Province of Uganda
Most Rev. Dr. Cyril Kobina Ben-Smith, Church of the Province of West Africa

Releasing Our Potential to Realize Our Possibilities

Most Rev. Albert Chama 

Most Rev. Dr. Jackson Ole Sapit 

Ven J.W. Kofi deGraft-Johnson 

Dr John M Kimani

CHAIRMAN AG. VICE CHAIRMAN GENERAL SECRETARY HON.TREASURER

Related Categories: Abp Albert Charma, Abp Ezekiel Kondo, Abp Justin Welby, Bishop Anthony Poggo,capa, Church of the Province of Central Africa, civil war, Episcopal Church of South Sudan, Sudan, violence

View original:

https://www.anglicannews.org/news/2023/12/africa’s-primates-send-statement-of-solidarity-to-primate-of-sudan-“we-are-standing-with-you”.aspx

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