Posted by ACN - Video News on 11/7/2012, 10:14 am
Message modified by board administrator 12/7/2012, 11:03 am

ACN Video News: Wednesday 11th July 2012 – SUDAN/SOUTH SUDAN A fragile peace in Sudan and South Sudan is shattering as the region teeters on the brink of all-out war In January 2011, after a series of brutal civil wars and the loss of millions of lives, the people of Southern Sudan overwhelmingly voted to secede from the Muslim governed North. The referendum was peaceful and confirmed by the UN, with 99% of those registered casting their ballots in favour of Independence. The peace, however, is extremely fragile, and the road to recovery will be long. In addition to the lack of infrastructure, tribal tensions, and food & water security issues, the most significant concern are the oilfields, which lie mainly along the disputed border territories between North and South. A year on from South Sudan's secession from Sudan, the independence celebrations of July 2011 are already a distant memory as tears of joy quickly turned to tears of sadness. Less than a decade after the end of a bitterly fought civil war, Sudan and South Sudan are once again poised to return to full-scale conflict. This short video examines the impact of recent events and shows how the people's witness of faith provides hope in a time of crisis. Please click HERE to view the short film. For more video clips please go to our Video page. Editor’s Notes Directly under the Holy See, Aid to the Church in Need supports the faithful wherever they are persecuted, oppressed or in pastoral need. ACN is a Catholic charity – helping to bring Christ to the world through prayer, information and action. The charity undertakes thousands of projects every year including providing transport for clergy and lay Church workers, construction of church buildings, funding for priests and nuns and help to train seminarians. Since the initiative’s launch in 1979, Aid to the Church in Need’s Child’s Bible – God Speaks to his Children has been translated into 162 languages and 48 million copies have been distributed all over the world. While ACN gives full permission for the media to freely make use of the charity’s press releases, please acknowledge ACN as the source of stories when using the material. For more information or to make a donation to help the work of Aid to the Church in Need, please contact the Australian office of ACN on (02) 9679-1929. e-mail: info@aidtochurch.org or write to Aid to the Church in Need PO Box 7246 Baulkham Hills NSW 2153. On Line donations can be made at www.aidtochurch.org