JUBA: 5 January
2013
-- The
situation in South Sudan, apart from the fact that it has
grabbed
international attention (the background details can be
followed up via
most international agencies, so will not be found here) is of
concern
to the Salesians who have responsibility for that area, and
would also
be of concern to us in EAO, one additional motivation being
that the
Salesian Family in Juba has several members from our region
working in
or around the troubled area or who have worked there in the
past.
Following is a brief message from Fr Ferrington, the SDB
Delegate for Sudan and South Sudan, under AFE Province:
"Our
mission in Gumbo (Juba) is quite safe from these atrocities
[he earlier
listed details from Eric Reeves' Report about South Sudan
entitled,Has South Sudan Passed the Tipping Point (3 Jan.,
in the SUDAN TRIBUNE]. But we regularly take in the victims
affected by these violence and clashes. We had to protect
some families
of affected tribe from vicious attacks. We tried to send
some out of
the country with police protection as they were vulnerable
to attacks
while others were safely accompanied to the UN Compounds.
Today we
received over 100 families – mostly women and children from
Bor area
where there were violent clashes involving heavy
artilleries. We are
struggling to provide some food, clean water, shelter and
basic health
care as we were not adequately prepared to face this crisis.
As of now
we are trying to reach out to 4 different groups of IDPs
(internally
Displaced People) with about 300 to 400 families. The number
is
increasing and we are keeping our mission premises open to
respond to
this emergency. God surprises us even amidst this tragedy: a
Mother
gave birth to a lovely child as soon as she arrived.
Peace talks and humanitarian
interventions could alleviate some difficulties and deter
situation to
plunge into serious crisis. We need divine intervention. We
appeal to
you all for prayers for an immediate halt to these clashes
resulting in
a comprehensive Ceasefire. May Jesus the prince of peace
touch the
hearts of leaders, commanders and politicians to make
responsible
choices in favour of the suffering people and the good of
this new
nation."
Writing directly from St Vincent de Paul Parish, Gumbo, in
Juba, the Parish Priest, Fr David Tulimelli, says:
"As I am sending these
pictures, we hear lots of gunshots and a bit of fear and
anxiety in the hearts of the people.
Here are
some of the attachments, that we are sending you, if God
wills we shall
be communicating with u. These are the refugees that came
from BOR,
MANGALLA, they are taking refugee in Gumbo. Yesterday one
mother gave
birth to a child; she reached the place around 6.00 a.m. and
around
10.40 she gave birth. Please do support us with your
prayers. Prayers
can change everything."
In a report a couple of days eartlier he had this to say:
"Yesterday, we went to
Mogiri, a
center run by Salesians of Don Bosco, under the parish. It's
almost 30
kms away from our sdb residence. It was badly affected by
the fighting.
When we met them in the village, they narrated to us that
they were in
the forest 5 to 8 days without food, afraid of the bomb
sounds and
killings. We all of us thought our catechist was killed as
there was no
information from anyone, but by God's grace, we were happy
to see him,
he is alive; he says he was in the forest along with some of
the
neighbors. Practically, most of the shops and houses
were burnt, we
were not allowed to take pictures...now, some people are
staying in our
school premises in Mogiri. We had seen dead bodies on
the road
but not allowed to take pictures, no body is there to bury
them, (we
wanted to bury them.) Today, when we asked one of the
soldier, that we
would like to bury them, he told me not to take risk.
Officer is not
interested in those dead ones. Some of the pictures we have
taken
inside the our school compound, we had distributed oil,
blankets, mats,
wheat flower, sugar, rice, beans etc,,, we have 70 to 90
families in
Mogiri (apart from military people), absolutely, there are
no shops to
buy anything. Its so sad to see, how much people are
suffering and
dying of hunger."
