WCC & AACC visit Sudan in the hope of Long-Term Peace

An ecumenical women’s delegation have reported back from their visit to Khartoum in Sudan from 29 June to 9 July, where they visited churches, community centres and women’s groups. The delegation consisted of up to five women from Africa, Europe and the US, and was brought together under the organisation of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC).

The voice of hope that was found to be echoed the loudest on their journey was by the women who had been internally displaced in Khartoum and nearby in Medani. “Peace is coming, we will be able to go back home,” was the message given by inhabitants of the area awaiting anxiously to see if a lasting peace can be brought about.

The delegation soon realised the important part that women would have to play in the future, as a majority of the husbands had either been killed in the war, or were still missing out in the war zones. Therefore, it will be very much up to the women to look after children, and earn the money to support themselves.

The recently held Sudanese Christian Women’s conference gave reference to Revelations 21:5 now it is time to make everything new.

War has plagued the nation for twenty-one long years and has left deep scars on all who have witnessed the terrible atrocities that have gone on.

The government-supported Jenjaweed militia have terrorised the people of Darfur in attempts to drive them out of their homelands.

According to the United Nations, the situation in Sudan's western Darfur region is currently the world's worst humanitarian crisis, and has claimed some 10,000 victims, with more than one million displaced people since the outbreak of the fighting in early 2003.

The Sudanese prisons are full of people being detained for petty crimes such as brewing and selling local beer – or in many cases one of the few possibilities for uneducated women to earn at least some money to feed themselves and their children.

“Currently four million internally displaced people are registered in Sudan,” said an official from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), “many of them have not even been settled for more than 10 years.”

Despite all the sufferings going on in the country, the delegates were still filled up with a tremendous sense of hope for the future. Even in the midst of state-sponsored attempts to Arabise and Islamise the whole society, the church stands strong in its faith and commitment to its Christian identity and responsibility to its people.

The Sudan Council of Churches (SCC) and the women's organisations of its member churches have all initiated projects for economic self-sufficiency and peace, crucial for women's daily post-war life

"The collaboration of these women transcends the traditional limitations of gender, tribal or geographic origin. Women have to cooperate if they want to survive, and they have to take responsibility for themselves and their children," said Kirsten Schwanke-Adiang, a German member of the WCC team. "In spite of all the tragedy of the ongoing situation in Sudan, the women themselves admit that the war has taught them cooperation beyond the traditional boundaries." Women are working together to build up the nation.

A major concern now on the minds of aid workers and of people in Sudan is whether the international community plans to help the local communities to return and reconstruct their lives. There is fear that ‘donor fatigue’ may affect the plans of the UN, which will require strong engagement by the churches and civil society in Sudan.

The international women's delegation which visited Khartoum were however fearful about the Sudanese women's situation. They now state that their challenge is to accompany Sudan beyond this hopeful but fragile peace agreement.