Sudanese Catholic Information Office
                S C I O
       P.O.Box 21102 - Nairobi - Kenya
       Tel. 00254 - 2 - 562247
       fax. 00254 - 2 - 566668
       SCIO, October 15, 1998
 

Sudan Monthly Report
 
October 15, 1998

1. Chronology 
2. The family of God the Father on a journey towards justice,peace
and reconciliation. 
3. Cancellation of talks does not augur well for Sudan

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1. Chronology      

September 16: The SPLA said its forces had captured a garrison in 
southern Sudan and killed 40 government troops in fierce fighting
in the trouble region. An SPLA spokesman said by telephone from
the Eritrean capital, Asmara, that al Gabalein garrison, 62
kilometres east of the main southern city of Juba, had fallen .

17: Sudan's army said it had killed 50 Ugandan and Sudanese rebel 
troops after a fierce battle in the war-ravaged south. State radio
read out a statement from army spokesman Abdel Rahman Sir
Al-Khatim, who said three government soldiers had died while
repulsing the attack on al-Gabalein, Torit and Liria.

17: Flooding and torrential rains in northern and central Sudan have
driven 30,000 people from their homes and left 25 people dead, a
newspaper reported. Colonel Wagie All el-Tayeb, a government
civil defence official, was quoted in the daily Akhbar al-Sa'a as
saying 455 villages have been wiped out by the Nile River flooding
in recent days.

18: Sudanese rebels have said they had captured the garrison town
of Liria, 72 kilometres south-east of the government-held southern
capital Juba. The SPLA claimed it had also captured Ngolere and
Rodondo, two smaller garrisons on the road between Juba and
Torit in Eastern Equatoria Province.

18: The Riyadh-based Arab Gulf Programme (AG-FUND) said it
had allocated $50,000 to help flood victims in Sudan. AG-FUND,
headed by Saudi Prince Tala bin Abdul-Aziz, said in a statement the
assistance would be given to two UN agencies operating in
Khartoum to "support needed humanitarian efforts".

19: Former US president Jimmy Carter has called for an
investigation into whether a Sudanese factory destroyed by US
missiles in August actually manufactured possible chemical
weapons materials. A technical team should visit Khartoum to
inspect the plant and to take samples of soil and building materials,
Carter said in a statement.

 22: Sudan has said an unspecified number of people, including a
child, were killed when a south-eastern village was shelled. The
official Sudan News Agency (SUNA) quoted Lt.Gen. Sir al-Khatim
as saying mortars and artillery hit several villages in Eastern
Equatoria state, which lies on the borders with Ethiopia and
Ugandan.

23: Sudanese soldiers clashed with Uganda forces supporting rebels
in southern Sudan and destroyed several tanks and vehicles, the
Sudanese army spokesman said. The clashes erupted in  Eastern
Equatoria province, where fierce battles have taken place since last
week, said Gen. Sir al-Khatim.

23: Ugandan forces backed by Eritrea and Rwanda were involved
in fighting against Sudanese troops in southern Sudan, a Sudan
army spokesman said. Sir al-Khatim told a news conference that
Khartoum's army had destroyed 11 tanks, as well as trucks and
arms from the Ugandan forces he said had invaded Sudan's Eastern
Equatoria state.

24: A Sudan army spokesman said Khartoum's forces had killed
more than 70 Ugandan troops in recent fighting in southern Sudan,
a newspaper reported. "Seventy-five tanks, three armoured vehicles
and a number of trucks have been destroyed and over 70 killed, ''the
official Al-Anbaa newspaper quoted army spokesman Lt. Gen.Sir
al-Khatim as saying.

24: Former US attorney general Ramsey Clark has said the US
government had wanted an excuse to strike at Sudan and the
decision to bomb a pharmaceutical plant there was strictly political.
Clark made the accusations to reporters after returning from Sudan,
where he led a delegation from the International Action Centre on a
fact-finding mission to the El-Shifa pharmaceutical factory, which
was destroyed by US cruise missiles.

26: Representative Barney Frank, one of President Bill Clinton's
most outspoken supporters on Capitol Hill, said he believes
President Clinton made a mistake in ordering the bombing of a
Sudanese factory suspected of manufacturing chemical weapons
agents. Rep Frank said in a letter to President Clinton he initially
supported the bombing of sites in both Sudan and Afghanistan but
now believes the administration went too far in Sudan attack.

26: The United Nations has appealed for nearly US$9 million to
provide shelter, clean water and medicine to 100,000 Sudanese left
homeless by the worst flooding of the Nile in decades.

27: The Sudanese army killed 400 rebels and 50 Ugandan troops
inbattles near a strategic garrison town over the past two weeks, a
military commander in southern Sudan said. The claim was the
latest by Sudanthat Uganda had sent troops to fight with southern
Sudanese rebels involved in a 15-year civil war- an accusation
Uganda has repeatedly denied.

28: Sudan's president Lt. Gen. Omar el-Bashir, paid a surprise
visitto the strategic town of Juba in Equatoria province and warned
of a major battle to keep the town in government hands. The visit
came 10 days after Sudanese rebels claimed they had captured the
garrison town of Liria, 72 kilometres Southeast of Juba, and two
smaller army outposts. 

28: Two children were killed and 132 injured when the Wad
Shaarifai refugee camp, 20 km from Kassala, was shelled , the
International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent
societies said. Since January, at least 55,000 people are thought to
have moved from their villages in the area along Sudan's eastern
border with Eritrea due to conflict.

28: Albert Navarro, director of the European Community
Humanitarian Office (ECHO) said representatives of the Khartoum
government and the SPLA would meet in Nairobi on October 5 to
discuss and extend a ceasefire they agreed earlier in the year to
allow food deliveries to reach hungry people in Bahr el-Ghazal. The
truce expires on October15.

28: Heavy floods have now affected 132 of Sudan's 26 states and in
terms of people affected and damage to households and
infrastructure, the situation is worse than in 1988 when the flooding
was consideredto have been of unprecedented dimension. Reports
have said one million people were suffering from the impact of the
floods, some 500 villages had been destroyed and agricultural
sector ravaged.

29: Sudan has put the country on a mobilisation footing to confront
what it called an attack by Uganda and Eritrea, southern Sudan,
state radio said. "The cabinet, meeting yesterday...declared a state
of general mobilisation to confront various other plots that target
the country currently," it said.

29: The UNICEF has appealed for the extension of a three-month
ceasefire between the government of Sudan and the SPLA which
expireson October 15. It must be extended in time and broadened in
scope, said UNICEF in a statement.

29: Sudanese air force planes have dropped cluster bombs on a
hospital in a rebel-controlled town in southern Sudan, a
humanitarian organisation said. A patient was seriously wounded
and a ward was damaged in the bombing of the hospital in Yei,
about 120 kilometres south-west of Juba, said Dan Effie of
Norwegian People's Aid, which runs the hospital.

30: The Security Council held preliminary discussions on an
Arab-sponsored draft resolution demanding a UN Investigation into
US claims that a Sudanese factory it bombed in August was making
chemical weapons. Council president Hans Dahlgreen of Sweden
said he had received a letter from Lebanese Ambassador Samir
Moubarak, the current head of the informal group of Arab states,
known as Arab Group, with a copy of the draft resolution in it.

 30: Thousands of Sudan's civilians are headed south to join the
government's war against Sudanese rebels and Ugandan troops, the
official media reported. The mobilisation follows an appeal by the
government for retired army officers to help the military's defence
against expected rebel assaults.

October 1: President Hosni Mubarak says a Sudanese
pharmaceutical factory bombed by the US last month could have
been used to make chemical weapons agents. President Mubarak's
comments were published in the government-run Al-Ahram
newspaper and are the first by an Arab leader endorsing the Clinton
administration's claim that Sudan was using the plant for military
purposes.

2: The Sudan government has imposed a blanket ban on aid flights
to the south of the country, according to the UN's Operation
Lifeline Sudan. The government gave no reason for the decision
and OLS said it hoped the ban was an administrative matter that
would be quickly resolved through negotiation with Khartoum
government.

2: Sudan rebels are attempting to break the government's grip on
the southern garrison town of Torit in their biggest offensive for 18
months, aid workers and other sources said. "The rebels are
certainly going to attack Torit," said one senior Nairobi-based aid
worker in contact with the area. 

3: Sudan's army has killed more than 500 Ugandan soldiers who
Khartoum says were invading the southern part of the country, the
Sudanese news Agency reported, quoting a military spokesman.
"the armed forces have managed up to now to kill over 500 of the
invading troops, destroy or seize 17 tanks and five armoured
vehicles," Lt. Col. General Sir al-Khatim was quoted by SUNA as
saying.

5: A top Ugandan intelligence official said that a Sudanese plane
dropped bombs in north-western Uganda, but no casualties had
been reported. The senior official, who declined to be identified,
said the bombs were dropped at around 1630 GMT in Adjumani
district, about 550 kilometres northwest of the Ugandan capital
Kampala.

5: The latest round of talks to seek ways of ending southern Sudan
civil war were cancelled because the Sudanese government declined
to send representatives, a rebel official said. "As far as we know,
there are no talks tomorrow because Khartoum is not sending
anybody," said Mr. Justin Arop Yaac, a spokesman for the SPLA.

6: Aid flights resumed to southern Sudan after the Khartoum
government had refused clearance for a day because of an
"administrative glitch," an OLS official said: "All planes are flying
today. Permission for flights on Thursday was denied due to a
misunderstanding overclearance procedure," said Elizabeth Kramer.

  6: A cousin of president el-Bashir was killed fighting rebels in
southern Sudan, state-run television announced. The broadcast did
not say when the cousin, Abu Baker el-Tayeb Mustafa, was killed.

6: International efforts are underway to reschedule the postponed
meeting of the IGAD technical committee on humanitarian affairs
to discuss the extension and broadening of the Bahr al-Ghazal
ceasefire. The meeting was due to have brought together
representatives of the Khartoum government and the SPLA.

6: In the SPLA-held Ajiep, hunger-related deaths have fallen from
60 per 10,000 per day to three per 10, 000, OLS spokesman Gillain
Wilcox has said. There has been a comparable improvement in
government-controlled Wau.

6: Tension between the Sudanese and local communities has
increased following the reported arrival of SPLA troops in the
Dungu area, about 100 km from the DRC-Congo border.

7: The Uganda army has deployed troops to two northwestern
Uganda towns near the border with Sudan after they were bombed
by a Sudanese aircraft, a radio station said. The troops were
deployed to Adjumani and Pakele, about 350 kilometres northwest
of Kampala, where the bombing injured six people, the private
Central Broadcasting Service said.

7: Sudan has denied that it launched bombing raids in northern
Uganda in which six people were injured, newspapers reported. The
Sudan foreign ministry "denied its planes bombed the towns of
Adjumani and Pakele in northern Uganda on Saturday".

8: Uganda has dismissed a threat by president el-Bashir that Sudan
may launch attacks on Uganda, the minister of state for foreign
affairs, Mr. Amama Mbabazi has said. The minister said Sudan was
no major threat to Uganda. "We are a no threat and he has no
capacity to do it. He is not a real military threat to Uganda," Mr.
Mbabazi added.

8: Some 50 rebels of SPLA have been killed in FNT forces in the
Central Mendi area of South Kordofan Province, a Khartoum daily
Alwan newspaper reported from the Sudanese capital. The report
was not independently verified.

8: Khartoum is to demand an official explanation of a newspaper
interview given by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak late last
month in which he sought to justify August's US raid on a Sudanese
pharmaceutical plant, officials said. "The Sudanese government
wants an explanation of this statement," information minister Mr.
Ghazi Salaheddin Atabani said.

9: Sudan has agreed to discuss its complaint over an American
missile strike on a Khartoum factory directly with the US as well as
pursuing it in the UN Security Council, newspapers said. "The
Sudanese government agreed officially to open the door of direct
bilateral dialogue with the US administration through the foreign
ministries in Khartoum and Washington," the private Al-Rai
Al-Aam newspaper said.

9: Sudanese defence minister Ibrahim Suleiman has said the
government needed 50,000 volunteer fighters to crush southern
rebels and their alleged foreign backers, newspapers reported. They
quoted Suleiman as telling the National Assembly that a general
mobilisation declared last week must continue until the government
had enough men and money to crush what he called attacks by
Uganda and Eritrea in Eastern Equatoria state.

9: An SPLA communique issued in Nairobi, Kenya, said the SPLA
were extending and expanding their ceasefire in response to an
appeal by Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi and because of
widespread famine in southern Sudan.

10: Sudanese forces have fended off rebel attacks on a key town in
southern Sudan and control the road linking it to a nearby army
camp, state-run Omdurman radio has reported. The SPLA
sustained heavy loses in the clashes near Juba, said an army
communiqué read on the radio. It did not provide casualty figures
for either side.

12: The SPLA has confirmed that its troops had withdrawn from
the town of Liria in eastern Equatoria. A communiqué issued in
Nairobi said the SPLA had withdrawn "for tactical reasons" but it
gave no further details.

12:Sudan has declared it wanted a full ceasefire with southern
rebels, but stopped short of agreeing to adhere to the partial truce
thatrebels have declared. The SPLA had earlier said it would extend
by another three months a ceasefire set to end on October 15 in
southern Bahr el-Ghazal province.

12: Although flooding has receded in northeastern Sudan, the flood
emergency has now entered a "critical public health phase" as large
areas remain under stagnant water, according to latest reports.
There is concern that the emergency situation could worsen in the
coming months due to outbreaks of waterborne diseases, lack of
shelter and poor food security conditions.

12: Sudanese opposition parties have criticised draft legislation on
the formation of political parties in Sudan, charging that it favours
the Khartoum regime, press reports said. The Al Rai al Akher daily
reported that critics have said the bill was "tailored to the interest of
the national Congress," which will become a political party oncethe 
bill becomes law.

12: Al Rai al Akher newspaper has reported that senior National
Congress official Mr. Mohammed al Hassan al Amin, commenting
whether exiled opposition leaders Mr. Mohammed Osman al
Mirghani and Sadeq al Mahdi might return home to lead their
parties, said: "Mirghhani and Mahdi have committed acts that call
for their trial on their return home."

14:A WFP barge started delivering 1,244mts of food to over
100,000 people in some locations along Sobat River in Upper Nile
state. A WFP statement said the three-barge convoy left the port of
Kosti to deliver food along the Sobat.

14:Sudanese foreign minister Mustafa Osman Ismail has said his
government extended a ceasefire in the southwestern Bahr
el-Ghazal region by three months for "humanitarian" purposes. "We
have decided to extend the ceasefire, which expires on October 15,
to another three months in Bahr el-Ghazal region to allow
humanitarian relief assistance to reach safely the needy people in
that region," Mr. Osman said.

14: Mr. Carl Tintsman, the co-ordinator of southern Sudan for OLS
has said the organisation welcomed the extensions of the ceasefire
because they would allow the agencies to continue to deal with a
devastating famine in Bahr el-Ghazal.
 
--------- 

2.The family of God the Father on a journey towards justice, peace
and reconciliation. 

This year's Sudan Catholic Bishops' Conference was held in the
Kenyan capital , Nairobi, from September 14-31. In attendance
were Gabriel Zubeir Wako, the Arch-bishop of Khartoum,
Arch-bishop of Juba Paolino Lukudo Loro, Bishop Joseph Gasi
Abangite of Tambura-Yambio, Paride Taban of Torit, Vincent
Mojwok Nyiker of Malakal, Bishop Macram Max Gassis of
El-Obeid, Auxiliary Bishop of Khartoum Daniel Adwok Kur,
Bishop of Wau Rudolph Deng Majak, Erkolano Lodu Tombe of
Yei, Administrator, Apostolic of El Obeid Antonio Menegazzo and
the Administrator, Apostolic of Rumbek, Monsignor Caesar
Mazzolari.  At the end of their deliberations, the bishops came up
with the following document:
 
Preamble: 

We, the Bishops of Sudan, gathered in Nairobi, Kenya, for our
Plenary Assembly, send our greetings of peace and love in the name
of Christ, our peace.

In preparation for the Jubilee 2000 and for the Centenary of
Evangelisation in Sudan, we are launching the following pastoral
programme for all Christians in the Sudan. It is a programme that is
intended to deepen the understanding and the implementation of the
"Vision, Mission and Values" published by the Bishops of Sudan in
September of 1997 in Rome.

The Current situation in the Sudan:
We, the Catholic Bishops of the Sudan, being critically aware of the
devastating civil war in our country, and mindful of our
responsibilities as Bishops, have discussed, among other things, the
question of war and peace in the Sudan. We also reflected on the
situation of human rights in general as well as on famine currently
affecting various parts of the country, especially the hardest hit
areas such as Bahr al Ghazal.

We noted with the greatest concern the devastating consequences
of the on-going civil war on civilian population and property as
represented by the continuing loss of innocent lives (this amounts to
ethnic cleansing) and destruction of property; rampant sense of
frustration and hopelessness; broken families; spread of crime and
immorality including rape; dislocation and displacement of whole
populations resulting in unprecedented suffering, impoverishment
and dehumanisation. The influx of refugees into the neighbouring
countries, no doubt, relates to the agonising effects of this war. We
also noted with regret certain practices which undermine the dignity
and worth of the human person. In particular, we deplore
extra-judicial punishment, mysterious disappearance of people,
slavery and slavery-related practices, torture, restrictions on
freedom of worship, lack of freedom of expression, discriminative
laws, practices and attitudes, manipulation of the media and lack of
genuine dialogue between Christians and Moslems.

We disapprove of the use of food for faith or as a weapon.
Furthermore, we express our concern for civilian population in
crossfire especially in situations involving aerial bombardment.
Finally, we deplore the slow, almost cynical response to the famine
situation and the denial of food aid to some areas including the
Nuba Mountains. By way of warning, we express our fears that
another more devastating famine is looming and may most likely hit
again in 1999 because of this year's insufficient rains and other
reasons. The situation will demand timely concerted effort both at
the national and international levels.

We cite the situation of war to express our total rejection of it. This
conflict, in fact, should challenge and disturb the conscience of any
believer in God or any person of goodwill. This situation is
unacceptable and we call upon the principle parties to the conflict
to seriously work for a negotiated settlement and to stop the
perpetration of the heinous crimes.

As we reflected on the war situation, we could see that there are
signs of hope and some light at the end of the tunnel. The
Inter-Governmental Authority for Development (IGAD)
involvement in the peace process, although slow, is commendable
and encouraging. We also praise and encourage the role of friends
of IGAD in the peace process. In addition, we commend the parties
to the conflict for courageously coming to the negotiation table last
August. This effort and spirit should continue. Equally,
praiseworthy is the acceptance of a limited cease-fire by both
parties

As far as the people are concerned, there are also signs of hope.
The people are becoming increasingly aware of their destiny and are
closing their ranks in unity and are more supportive of each other.
They are more conscious than ever of their dignity and rights and of
their duties and obligations towards the community and the Church.
Many young people and intellectuals are more prepared now than
ever, to get involved in community and Church affairs. They are
involved in educational, cultural and religious programmes. For
example, the Bible is presently being translated into many
indigenous languages. The youth and women, in collaboration with
the Church, are working whole-heartedly for a better understanding
of the scriptures and for the spread of literacy. The Gospel has now
reached areas previously untouched and the spirit of the people,
both young and old, to learn the good news, is at once genuine and
determined. We thank the selfless efforts and commitment of the
youth, women and pastoral workers.

Signs of hope are spreading in other communities. We note with
appreciation that people outside the Christian community are
fostering our same values and are sharing with the larger
community in its efforts and concern.  We encourage this to
continue for the good of our nation, the Sudan.

---------

3. Cancellation of talks does not augur well for Sudan.

The news about the cancellation of the next round of Sudanese
peace talks has not taken many by surprise. With the latest
developments on the battle field and the strong pronouncements by
the leaders of the parties to the Sudanese conflict, it would have
taken something akin to a miracle to bring the combatants to the
negotiation table. The talks, under the auspices of the regional
Inter-Governmental Authority on Development, (IGAD), were
scheduled to begin in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, on October 5.

The principle concern of the warring parties now seems to be the
control of Juba, the largest town in southern Sudan, still under the
control of President Omar Hassan el-Bashir's government.
Sudanese People's Liberation Army (SPLA) leader Colonel John
Garang is reported to have personally taken charge of the offensive.

Naturally, the government is not resting on its laurel. It is taking
every precaution to ensure its continued stranglehold on the
strategic garrison town. The fall of Juba to the rebels, could mark a
major turning point in the 15-year-old conflict. It could as well
mean the stamping out of the Islamic government's authority in the
entire southern Sudan. On a recent visit to Juba, President Bashir
predicted that the impending battle would be "decisive and final"
Among other things, the government has embarked on massive
military recruitment that has seen university education suspended in
Khartoum. Expenditure by various ministries has also been reduced
drastically to help finance the war. The likely consequences of the
current dimension in the protracted conflict, especially on the
civilian population, are not hard to imagine.

Southern Sudan continues bearing the brunt of a devastating famine
that has claimed thousands of lives despite concerted international
relief efforts. Floods have also set in, restricting accessibility to the
thousands of people desperate for aid while playing havoc with
whatever little has taken roots in the farms.

Is it the right time then for the war to intensify? The obvious
answer is no. The ordinary Sudanese are definitely tired of this war,
which together with its consequences, have claimed an estimated
1.5 million lives. What they need is peace to enable them go about
their day-to-day activities and regain their dignity among the
world's nations.

Though the previous talks cannot be said to have achieved much,
the mere fact that the bitter foes could give dialogue a chance is
commendable.

As all people of goodwill wait with bated breadth for the impending
offensive, one can only hope that Col. Garang and Gen. Bashir will
finally realise that dialogue is the best way forward.

Charles Omondi
 
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 Fr. Kizito, SCIO, tel 254.2.562247 - fax 254.2.566668 -
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SUDAN CATHOLIC INFORMATION OFFICE
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tel. 254.2.562247 or 569130, fax 566668
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