ALL AFRICA REPORT: President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Archbishop Philip Wilson has called on Australians to pray for peace in solidarity with the people of Sudan as they prepare to vote on a referendum for their country's future.
"While the referendum has the potential to bring much-needed change to a region plagued by instability, it also brings fear, with tensions already rising and the threat of intimidation and violence an ever-present reality," he said."On 9th January, 2011, Sudan will conduct a referendum offering the people of Southern Sudan the opportunity to become an independent nation. This vote forms the keystone of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and brings hope to the Sudanese people that they may finally close the door on an era of civil war, violence and bloodshed," Archbishop Wilson said.
The cleric said that any violence resulting from the referendum in Sudan is feared to reach far beyond national borders and implicate myriad African nations in a bloody conflict; a conflict the likes of which the world has not witnessed since Rwanda.
"In this time of uncertainty, it is critical that the world stays alert and informed of Sudan's situation," he said.
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