Africa Day Letter to Archbishop of Sudan

On Africa Day, 25 May 2011, Archbishop Dr Thabo Makgoba, wrote this open letter to his colleague, the Most Revd Daniel Deng Bul Yak, the Archbishop of the Sudan

My Dear Brother in Christ,

I write to assure you of our support and prayers for you and the people of the Episcopal Church of Sudan and indeed all the people of the Sudan, especially in the light of the latest attack on Abyei.

I also call on the international community, including South Africa, to bring diplomatic pressure on the government of Sudan to stop the use of force and violence by forces loyal to it in Abyei and to support appeals for emergency relief for the victims of this conflict.

When conflict and violence subsides I would hope that both Sudan and South Sudan will allow a democratic process to determine the place of Abeyi in the new dispensation soon to take place.

I call upon UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to continue to address the situation most urgently through the UN Security Council so that this current crisis will not postpone the formation of Africa’s newest state.

Issued by the Office of the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town Inquiries: Wendy Tokata on 021- 763-1320 (office hours)