Action needed to counter the 'immense human cost' of the Sudan conflict, says Bishop

Pope Leo prays for Peace at the Angelus, Credit: Vatican News

Source: CBCEW

At the end of October, the city of el-Fasher in Darfur, western Sudan, fell to the Rapid Support Force (RSF) militia after 18 months under siege. Reports indicate widespread executions and mass displacement, with tens of thousands of civilians forced to flee or face violence. Approximately 250,000 civilians were trapped in the city before it fell.

Bishop Paul Swarbrick, Bishop of Lancaster and Lead Bishop for Africa, has expressed his deep concern over this devastating escalation in the conflict. The civil war has continued for more than two years with over 14 million people forced from their homes and around 30 million in need of humanitarian assistance.

Bishop Swarbrick said: "The reports from the city of el-Fasher are deeply troubling and call for immediate international attention. The situation has become even more dire and there's no evidence of it moving towards a resolution. From a global perspective, it remains almost a sideshow to other conflicts, and yet the loss of life, widespread suffering, and the number of displaced people is colossal."

He added: "My overriding sense when I visited the Tigray region of Ethiopia earlier this year is that the effects of Sudan's tragedy are spreading across international borders in the region and further afield. This is a worrying development."

Noting Pope Leo's call for Christians "to be signs of hope… in a world struggling with fatigue and despair," Bishop Swarbrick highlighted that despite the deteriorating situation, the Catholic aid agencies are doing their best to assist those affected:

"I have retained contacts in South Sudan within the local Church as well as Catholic aid agencies such as CAFOD and Trócaire. I am hearing first-hand accounts of widespread displacement and hunger, communities are exhausted and humanitarian access remains severely limited. He added: "While I am deeply grateful that faith communities continue to work on the ground despite risks, words must now be matched by action - the international community can no longer turn away from the immense human cost of this conflict."

Bishop Swarbrick stressed that while the situation is very complex, Christ holds the suffering in His hands: "The Lord does not abandon his people or turn a deaf ear to their cry," he said. "We believe in a peace the world cannot give them, even as we pray for an end to the fighting. We must continue to pray for a time of healing."