Are there signs of hope now for the political situation in southern Sudan?
There is hope in the sense that there is now a reconciliation process taking place among the southern Sudanese people. And in unity there is strength. There is hope because the southern Sudanese are aware that the regime in Khartoum is trying to divide us in order to wipe us away. So now a process of reconciliation is ongoing, and we as bishops are encouraging it and want to be a part of this reconciliation process. This is our hope. The second hope is that, notwithstanding the war, the church is prospering. And the number of Christians is growing, not only in number, but in quality. We are being purified “as gold is tested in fire.” You spoke about your hopes in terms of the response from Western political powers. What about the response from Christians worldwide? What would your hope be, and what kind of response would you like to see? My hope is that, for example, the U.S. bishops’ conference would make a special appeal as they did for East Timor. Why can’t they make the same appeal
