A time for reflection on Sudan - Durham Herald Sun

Christina Holder | The Herald-Sun
The Rev. Martin Vuni of South Sudan visited the United States last week, nearly a month before the country commemorates its first-year anniversary as the world's newest nation. After more than 20 years of civil conflict, South Sudan became an independent country on July 9, 2011. Vuni, who participated in the Center for Reconciliation's Summer Institute at Duke Divinity School last week, is calling for a time of reflection as the anniversary draws near.

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By Christina Holder

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As a young seminary student in Sudan, Martin Vuni attempted to join the Sudan People's Liberation Army in the 1990s.

The army, then part of a governmental opposition group known as the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, fought against the Sudanese government in a civil war for more than 20 years, from 1983 to 2005, in an attempt to gain independence from the country.

On July 9, 2011, that separation became official, as voters passed a referendum to make the Republic of South Sudan the newest nation in the world. As South Sudan’s first anniversary draws near, Vuni reflected on his country at a Duke Divinity School-sponsored conference on reconciliation last week.

Vuni and nearly a dozen other international Christian ministry leaders, as well as more than 120 leaders from across the United States, convened at Duke Divinity School last week for an intensive series of workshops sponsored by the Center for Reconciliation. The center works to equip church leaders for reconciliation and peace work across diverse lines such as class, conflict and race.

Vuni, now a Catholic priest, said he was convinced that joining the fight for liberation from the Sudanese government was the right answer in the 1990s. But the military commander who could grant the young Vuni entrance into the army denied him entrance after learning that Vuni was on a track to holy orders.

That moment changed everything for Vuni, he said.

“That gave me another thought,” he said. “Say, but now here I am, and these guys, they are desperate for manpower and especially people with a bit of education, and he’s telling me to go back. Now what is it really?”

That moment was part of his call to ministry.

The encounter led Vuni to continue pursuing his plans for ordination as a Catholic priest, to serve Sudanese people displaced by the civil conflict in temporary camps, and to organize soccer matches to bring together youth vulnerable to the deep tensions between people living in the north and the south of the country.

Later he organized human rights workshops to lead Sudanese people to stand on common ground.

“The real minimum standard for people to coexist is they respect their rights,” Vuni said.

At the Center for Reconciliation’s conference last week, Vuni gathered with other participants to pray for South Sudan as the July anniversary approaches.

In addition, participants attended seminars on the theology of reconciliation, and spent time lamenting the brokenness of the church and sharing stories of hope.

One key principle of the conference was reminding participants that reconciliation does not begin with people. From a Christian vantage point, God acts first, sending his son Jesus Christ as an agent of reconciliation to the world.

“Reconciliation begins with God, with God’s action,” Center Director Chris Rice said.

Vuni said that as South Sudan approaches its one-year anniversary of becoming a new nation, tensions in the country remain. He is calling for time of reflection on the past year’s events.

“Having a war and a liberation struggle is just one little part of it,” Vuni said. “And building a nation and building a real society is another thing.”

He said that reconciliation does not happen quickly and may not be realized in this lifetime, but something far greater is at work. He knows the resiliency of the Sudanese people. He has experienced the power of confession in individuals and sees those voices of truth building a collective movement of peace in the country in the future.

“My hope is based on the reality of our faith,” he said. “I think God did not intend to create people to just have chaos. He really created people to become peaceful.”