AFRICA/SUDAN - War and now rebuilding: “The local Church supported by missionaries has never abandoned the people of southern Sudan and will continue to help them overcome their difficulties” says Comboni Provincial Superior

Khartoum (Fides Service) - The peace agreement for southern Sudan reached a year ago did restore hope among these people who suffered greatly in 20 years of civil war, but much remains to be done to rebuild entire regions devastated by war. All through the long years of conflict the local Church stood by the people offering concrete assistance and it continues to do so.
In this assistance the local Church was and is greatly supported by missionaries, especially Italian Comboni missionaries involved in pastoral care and activities of human promotion. “All our Comboni parishes and communities run at least one or two schools or a medical centre” says Fr Luciano Perina Comboni Superior Provincial for Sudan.
“In Rumbek the main town of Rumbek diocese we have a well equipped hospital where quite complicated surgery can be performed. It is the only medical centre in the area” the missionary says. “Medical centres in southern Sudan where there is a high incidence of TB and leprosy are very necessary”.
“The Catholic community has the appreciation of the government for its activity to assist the people especially those in very remote parts of the country such as for example the Upper Nile region bordering on Ethiopia which belongs to Malakal diocese” says Fr Perina. “This depressed swamp area home to about 1.5 million people has no infrastructures whatsoever. However there are two Comboni communities and with the help of the German NGO “Zeichen der Hoffnung” two schools are under construction”.
Thanks to funds collected through an Italian TV programme the Comboni missionaries built a school centre in a town not far the Ugandan border which takes 2,000 children from kindergarten to high school. “The centre is important because most schools in Sudan only go as far as secondary school, not many offer high school instruction. Our new school offers young people who want the opportunity to continue their education” says the Superior Provincial.
Catholic centres in Sudan consist of: 15 hospitals 56 clinics, 11 leprosy centres, 6 homes for the elderly and disabled, 25 baby-care centres, 4 orphanages, 317 kindergartens with 24,450 pupils; 283 primary schools with 109,370 pupils; 30 secondary schools with 8,271 pupils. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 17/1/2006 righe 36 parole 437)