Rapid Development...

Recently Deng Deng Akon was in Adelaide to spend time with his wife and family. Deng is Secretary to the Vice President of Southern Sudan and has been very helpful and supportive of our partnership with communities in Sudan. I met with Deng on several occasions and he provided advice on issues such as registration of NGOs, channelling finance, employment of a Project Manager, transport, freight and much more. Deng also has good insight into the needs of the community and the most effective way to work with local leaders.

Change is taking place at a rapid pace in Southern Sudan, and this will only increase as connections with the outside world develop. Tasks which seemed virtually impossible even a year ago, are now much simpler according to Deng. The President recently opened 18 bridges in Northern Bahr Al Ghazal and this will provide access all year to regions which were previously quite isolated. Freight through Mombasa has now been streamlined, avoiding the complications of the Kenyan customs system. And banks in Juba can now facilitate money transfer, and apparently an ATM has recently been added.

Of course long term development will be dependant on political stability in the region. The world will be watching with some anxiety as the referendum scheduled for 2011 approaches, as this will determine whether Southern Sudan remains in a unified Sudan or has independence from the North. Either option has the potential to spark renewed conflict and this remains the greatest threat to aid and development and also to our church partnerships. But for now there is relative peace and increasing opportunities for us to provide assistance to communities who have suffered so much.

Photo: With Deng Deng Akon at our hotel in Juba, June 2008

Pray for peace...

My friend Adub is the Director of Peace based in Aweil. He has asked that we pray for a Peaceful Co-existence Conference he is involved in next month. The conference will bring together people from two tribes which have a long history of conflict – the African Malual Dinka of Northern Bahr Al Ghazal and the Arabic Rezeigat from Darfur.

In the past the Rezeigat have been frontline soldiers for the northern forces against the Southern rebels, but even when not at war have formed raiding parties which have captured thousands of Dinka women and children to be enslaved. While in Aweil last year Joseph and I saw numerous fuzzy haired children whose mothers had escaped from their Arab captors. While the raids have decreased since the signing of the Certified Peace Agreement, it is still a source of conflict between these rival tribes. And as the Sahara steadily grows southward, competition for pasture and water increases the need for peaceful co-existence.

I remember Adub’s words of wisdom to me last year – that people first need to find peace within themselves before they can offer it to others. Please join together in praying for peace in this troubled region.