Speaker: Forcing U.N. troops on Sudan would be disaster

Speaker: Forcing U.N. troops on Sudan would be disaster

BY BOB REEVES / Lincoln Journal StarTuesday, Oct 17, 2006 - 12:13:23 am CDT

Trying to force the government of Sudan to accept a 20,000-strong United Nations peacekeeping force would be a disaster, according to an international peacemaker from Sudan who will speak in Lincoln and southeast Nebraska this week.Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has promised to launch an all-out war against UN troops if they attempt to intervene in Darfur, said Aida Nasser Weran, a Sudanese seminary instructor who is visiting several U.S. states as part of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s International Peacmakers Program.Instead, Weran believes other nations should help the African Union beef up its peacekeeping force, which currently totals 7,000 troops in Darfur. The African troop level should be raised to 20,000 and they should be given authority to stop the violence rather than merely observe, she said.The fighting in Darfur began in response to peace negotiations between the Muslim-dominated government in the north and the predominantly-Christian rebels in the south, she said. “The people of Darfur feel neglected or marginalized,” she said, and were not represented at the peace table.Whether the 2005 peace agreement will eventually bring peace to the whole country depends in large part on the outcome of elections, scheduled for 2008, Weran said. If Bashir is re-elected, the country likely will split apart, she said, but if a new government is put in place, it could mean that the various factions will work together.Weran, who is on the faculty of Nile Theological College in Khartoum, is one of 14 Christian leaders from troubled countries around the world who are visiting U.S. Presbyterian churches as part of the “Peacemakers” program. Everywhere she goes, people ask her about the situation in Darfur and whether the civil war is really over.A native of the Nuba Mountain Region in western Sudan, Weran is married to a minister who is executive presbyter of the Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church, which has 64 churches throughout Sudan. Churches have a difficult time because of the Muslim-dominated government, but they are able to survive through help from Christian organizations around the world, including American Presbyterians, she said.Monday evening, she spoke at First Prebyterian Church in Nebraska City. She will speak today, Thursday and Saturday in Lincoln and also visit churches in Panama and Wymore. The International Peacemaker Program, established in 1982, helps Americans better understand what’s happening in places of conflict, said Barbara Hipple of the Homestead Presbytery, based in Lincoln.“Any time we have exposure to people from elsewhere and hear firsthand their stories, it helps us see what we’re doing through our mission work.”Reach Bob Reeves at 473-7212 or breeves@journalstar.com.AppearancesHere is a schedule of public appearances by Aida Nasser Weran, international peacemaker from Sudan:6 p.m. Tuesday, Fourth Presbyterian Church, 5200 Francis St.5 p.m. Wednesday, Panama Presbyterian Church, Panama.5 p.m. Thursday presentation on “Understanding Peace from Sudan to Lincoln,” at First Presbyterian Church, 840 S. 17th St. , followed by 6 p.m. potluck and 7 p.m. worship.10 a.m. Friday, community coffee at Wymore Presbyterian Church, 517 N. 12th St., Wymore, followed by lunch.Noon-8 p.m. Saturday, gathering of the Sudanese community of Lincoln, with presentation by Weran and music by the Sudanese Band, First Presbyterian Church, 840 S. 17th St