Cardinal returns from Sudan trip
Feb 11, 2006
Cardinal Keith O'Brien has returned to Scotland after visiting families who are returning to the Sudan after fleeing the civil war.
(BBC, 4 February 2006) The Roman Catholic churchman was on a 10-day visit to an area described by the UN as suffering "the greatest humanitarian disaster in the world".
He said: "I have been shocked by the suffering of the people but impressed by their courage and resilience."
The cardinal embarked on the trip to understand the problems being faced.
Peace agreement
He also saw how money raised by the church was being spent.
"I wanted to reassure people in Sudan that the people of Scotland care deeply about their plight and will continue to support them as they work towards making peace a reality," he said.
Cardinal O'Brien refused to swap his robes for a flak jacket during the visit.
He met local children who were being educated by the church and spoke to them about their hopes for the future now that there is peace.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the country and about two million people have been displaced from their homes since 2003, when violence escalated in the region already badly affected by civil war.
Arab militias backed by the Sudanese Government were accused of attacking villages in an effort to crush Darfur rebels.
Last year a fragile peace agreement was struck and exiled residents are currently returning to towns and villages.
But the fighting has left many homeless, with too little food to go around, and no ready access to water.
The Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) raised more than £650,000 for the area from supporters of the church, schools and parishes.
Chief executive Paul Chitnis, who accompanied Cardinal O'Brien on the trip, said: "I promised the people I met that I would challenge our elected representatives to place Sudan and, in particular, the situation in Darfur at the top of the international agenda.
"To this end, I will be briefing MPs at Westminster and MSPs at the Scottish Parliament on the need to ensure aid commitments are met and an adequate peace keeping force is maintained in the region."
Cardinal returns from Sudan trip