Christian and Muslim religious leaders from Sudan’s Nuba Mountains have called for an end to fighting and urged the parties to engage in dialogue to resolve the conflict.
The call came in a joint statement issued on Wednesday by the New Sudan Council of Churches and the Islamic Council, Nuba Mountains Region, following a three-day consultation in Yida, South Sudan.
The religious leaders said the conflict, which they said began on 12 March and had spread across Heiban County, had caused deaths, destruction of property and livelihoods, displacement, looting and trauma.
They also warned that continued violence was deepening divisions and damaging relations between communities.
The leaders called on all parties to stop armed hostilities and hate speech and to exercise restraint.
“We therefore call upon all parties to the conflict to stop the armed violence and hate speeches, exercise maximum restraint, and give dialogue a genuine chance,” they said.
Ceasefire welcomed
The religious leaders welcomed what they described as a ceasefire issued by the Government of Tasis and declared by the chairman and commander-in-chief of the SPLM/A-North.
They urged all sides to respect the ceasefire and create conditions for peace talks and reconciliation.
The statement called for meaningful and inclusive dialogue, justice and accountability, humanitarian assistance, protection of civilians and efforts to address the root causes of the conflict.
The leaders also appealed to traditional authorities, women, young people, civil society organisations, political leaders and other religious leaders to help promote reconciliation.
“The future of the Nuba Mountains belongs to all its people,” they said.
The conflict has also displaced civilians and disrupted livelihoods in parts of the Nuba Mountains, where humanitarian needs remain a concern.
The religious leaders called on national, regional and international actors to support humanitarian assistance and peace-building efforts.
They said the Christian and Muslim communities they represent would continue to promote dialogue and reconciliation.
“We believe that peace is possible, reconciliation is possible, and coexistence is possible,” the statement said.
The joint statement was signed by Rev. Barnaba Ibrahim Kacho, chairperson of the New Sudan Council of Churches; Moulana Abdulghadir Issa Ramadan, chairperson of the Islamic Council, Nuba Region; and Bishop Elsir Hassan Kuku, general secretary of the New Sudan Council of Churches.
The consultation was held in Yida, Ruweng Administrative Area, from 21 to 23 September under the theme “One Community, One People: United for Peace and Reconciliation.”
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