Catholic relief workers say situation in Darfur is far from resolved
Catholic san Francisco Northern California’s Weekly Catholic Newspaper
By Evan Weinberger
INTERRELIGIOUS PRAYER, page 4
DARFUR, page 10
(CNS PHOTO/CANDACE FEIT, REUTERS)
Catholic writer, had reported that as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future pope had strong doubts about the 1986 meeting and felt it emphasized spectacle over faith. But in his message, Pope Benedict said Pope John Paul II had correctly perceived the value of having leaders of different faiths gather to send a message that true religion builds bridges and has nothing to do with violence. “His invitation for a choral witness to peace served to clarify, without any possibility of misunderstanding, that religion can only be a source of peace,” he said. The 1986 meeting and those that followed have also highlighted the importance of prayer in changing human hearts and helping to clear the often difficult path to peace, the pope said. “We need this ‘education to peace’ more than ever, especially looking at the new generations,” the pope said.
YAOUNDE, Cameroon (CNS) — Despite a May peace agreement meant to end the conflict in the Sudanese region of Darfur, refugees who fled to the neighboring central-Africa country of Chad are not returning to Sudan, according to reports by aid workers. Small groups of refugees are still staggering into Chad, and huge numbers may be preparing to leave Sudan if a threatened Sudanese government offensive starts, said a Catholic Relief Services representative. “The number of refugees is increasing,” said Fortune Agboton, the team leader for CRS’ emergency team in Abeche, in eastern Chad. “The situation in Darfur is not solved.” In a telephone interview, Agboton said that at the moment refugees are crossing the border in groups of 10 or 20. Fighting among rebel groups, some of which did not sign the Darfur Peace Accord reached in May, and increased banditry by militias and armed gangs have risen since the peace deal was signed. The United Nations says the number of areas in Darfur inaccessible to aid workers is rising steadily because of the upsurge in violence as well as a lack of funds. Although for several years non-Arab rebel groups have been fighting Arab militias, the rebel groups have now splintered, and some are committing atrocities against civilians. At least a dozen aid workers have been killed in the region since late June. Nearly 500,000 internally displaced people in Darfur did not receive their monthly food ration in July, said U.N. officials. In addition, the Sudanese government is preparing to send 10,000 Sudanese soldiers to Darfur to confront the active militias. Agboton said he fears that if the threatened offensive takes places, thousands more Darfur residents will flee to Chad. Human Rights Watch reports that cross-border attacks by the Janjaweed, the Sudanese-government militias responsible for many of the atrocities in Darfur, as well as active Darfur rebel groups, have continued even after the peace accord was signed. Other human rights groups have noted a rise in rapes and other sexual violence. But the humanitarian situation in Chad’s refugee camps is not nearly as dire, Agboton said. Approximately 240,000 Darfur refugees live in 12 camps in eastern Chad. CRS, the U.S. bishops’ international relief and development agency, helps the Chad branch of Caritas manage two camps, at Farchana and Kounoungou, with a total of 35,000 refugees. Agboton said that CRS and Caritas, known in Chad by its French acronym, Secadev, may be adding a third camp and about 17,000 refugees to their work. Refugees in the camps are receiving enough food and medicine, Agboton said, and the aid organizations are beginning to train Sudanese refugees in tailoring and other small trades so they can feed themselves. The crisis in Darfur began in 2003 when the
A rebel with the National Redemption Front, an alliance formed by groups that have not signed the Darfur Peace Agreement, carries his weapon in Sudan. Attacks by the Sudanese government militias responsible for many of the atrocities of Darfur and by active rebel groups have continued even after the peace accord was signed.
Pope calls interreligious prayer a ‘prophetic’ way to witness against conflict and war By John Thavis ASSISI, Italy (CNS) — On the 20th anniversary of the first interreligious prayer meeting in Assisi, Pope Benedict XVI said the initiative had been a “prophetic” way for various faiths to witness against conflict and war. The pope said such gatherings were needed even more today, when younger generations of all faiths must learn that prayer “does not divide, but unites” and that religion must never be used as an excuse for violence. The pope made his comments in a message Sept. 4 to the 20th Interreligious Prayer Meeting for Peace in Assisi, Italy. Sponsored by the Sant’Egidio Community, the two-day encounter brought together more than 150 representatives of various world religions. The pope’s message offered a strong endorsement of the interfaith meetings that began in Assisi in 1986, surprising some observers. Vittorio Messori, a well-known Italian
INSIDE THIS WEEK’S EDITION Apostolate for Deaf . . . . . . 5 Archbishop interview. . . . . 6
Faces of Global Poverty
Family helps soldiers . . . . . 8 Vatican diplomat . . . . . . . 10 Mind on media . . . . . . . . . 18
~ Pages 12-13 ~
Annual Collection September 9 – 10 September 8, 2006
Datebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Movie review: ‘Lassie’ ~ Page 20 ~ SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
Classified ads. . . . . . . . 22-23
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