Monday 23 April 2001

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, has complained to the government of Sudan about restrictions on the celebration of Easter in the capital, Khartoum.

In a letter to the Sudanese Foreign Minister, Dr Mustafa Ismail, the text of which has been released today (April 23), Dr Carey said that he was forced to "the reluctant conclusion that Christians in Khartoum experienced discrimination, harassment and obstruction in their desire to celebrate Easter together peacefully and in public."

The events referred to by the Archbishop followed the Governor of Khartoum's last-minute withdrawal of permission for Christians to gather at a site in the centre of Khartoum, Green Square, for meetings with the visiting German Pastor, Reinhard Bonnke.

In his letter, the Archbishop writes:

I have been able to gather reports from a number of sources that I consider reliable and the resulting picture is very disturbing. I have emphasised to you before on several occasions my commitment to inter-faith understanding and my belief that it is possible for Christians and Muslims to work together for the welfare of their communities. For that to happen, however, it is necessary for religious freedoms and the dignity of different communities to be respected. It appears that was not the case in the events 10th-14th April. Several events during those days lead me to the reluctant conclusion that Christians in Khartoum experienced discrimination, harassment and obstruction in their desire to celebrate Easter together peacefully and in public.

I was disturbed to learn the following:

It was only on the 9th April, the day before the Green Square meetings with Pastor Bonnke were scheduled to begin, that the Governor of Khartoum withdrew permission for the use of the site. As you know this site is commonly used for church and other meetings - indeed I, myself, spoke there in 1995, as did the Pope two years previously. It appears no adequate reason was given for the change, and it appears also that the alternative site in Haj Yusuf on the outskirts of Khartoum North was highly unsuitable and could have given rise to other and more serious security concerns. Such decisions were bound to aggravate the feelings of the Christian community.

It was particularly unfortunate that when Christians from outlying areas arrived at the Green Square arena in all innocence on Wednesday, they were treated roughly, shooting broke out, several were wounded and more than 50 were arrested. At the least this would seem to be an excessive response to a predictable occurrence.

On the Wednesday (11th April), too, Christians gathered at All Saints Cathedral to hear explanations from their leaders and to sing and pray. At around 4pm the police fired a number of tear gas canisters without warning into the crowded cathedral. This was a reckless act that was bound to produce panic and was totally unjustified by the situation in the cathedral compound. I am informed that as the people fled they were moved on by police with whips. One young man is reported to have lost a hand and 56 people were arrested. From the several reports that I have seen, there would appear to be little doubt that the police response was excessive and could have had far more disastrous consequences. Even senior and respected figures like Mulana Abel Alier, Revd Ezekiel Kondo (Provincial Secretary of the Episcopal Church of Sudan) and Revd Sylvester Thomas (Provost of the Cathedral) were detained for some hours.

It is also reported that the 56 or so people who were arrested were given the briefest of trials before receiving various sentences. However I am relieved to hear that those arrested have now been released. I hope the government will take further steps to calm the situation and restore the confidence of the Christian community.

Your Excellency, I must make clear to you that during these days Christians in Khartoum felt gravely mistreated by their government and that unjustifiable obstacles were placed in the way of their hopes to celebrate Easter corporately. In addition when they were gathering at the Cathedral they were subjected to inappropriate violence. Many people in this country and around the world will draw the same conclusions. I would urge the Sudanese government to take every possible step to assure Christians in Khartoum, and throughout the country, that their religious and civil rights will be fully respected and upheld by the government. For the sake of the future of inter-religious relations in Sudan, to which you have repeatedly expressed your commitment, it is essential that strong public assurances be given to the Christian community. An appropriate sign of that commitment would be for compensation to be paid for the damage suffered by All Saints Cathedral.

You know the depth of my commitment to peaceful relationships between the many and diverse peoples and communities of Sudan. This letter to you is an indication of that concern. My daily prayer is for peace and harmony throughout the troubled country of Sudan. I trust the Sudanese government will play its part in rebuilding the confidence and trust damaged by the events of these days.

Note for editors

The Archbishop of Canterbury's letter was dispatched on Friday. He also wrote in January 2001 to the Sudanese Foreign Minister about the bombing of civilian targets following the destruction of the Cathedral in Lui, Southern Sudan [ACNS2349].