Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, has raised his concerns with the mounting violence in Sudan, and has requested the British government to become involved in resolving it peacefully.
The violence is centred in the South Kordofan area of Sudan, and there are fears that it could unsettle South Sudan’s recent secession from North Sudan.
The recent referendum saw 98 per cent of southerners vote to secede, but contested areas along the borders of the two countries, including South Kordofan, Abyei and Blue Nile, have seen North Sudan forces launch attacks.
The invasion of Abyei, which is an oil-rich area, resulted in the displacement of some 100,000 people.
The Archbishop said that the world was risking “another Darfur” unless the international community got involved in a process of safeguarding citizens, and negotiating peaceful settlements.
“We deplore the mounting level of aggression and bloodshed in South Kordofan State and the indiscriminate violence on the part of government troops against civilians,” he said.
“The city has been overrun by the army and heavy force is being used by government troops to subdue militias in the area, with dire results for local people,” he added.
“Many brutal killings are being reported.
“This violence is a major threat to the stability of Sudan just as the new state of South Sudan is coming into being.
“The humanitarian challenge is already great, and the risk of another Darfur situation, with civilian populations at the mercy of government-supported terror, is a real one.”
The Archbishop urged the UN Security Council, the EU, Arab League and African Union to work together in ensuring humanitarian access and safety for citizens.
“We hope that our own government, which has declared its commitment to a peaceful future for Sudan, will play an important part in this.”
[Image of Sudan orphans from anglican-mainstream.net].