At the end their plenary assembly on 29 March, the French bishops made an appeal for the stricken region of Darfur in Sudan: “Neither Europe nor France can fail to react to so much suffering”. In their statement the bishops declare that the conflict in Darfur “cannot be reduced to a mere enumeration of figures: 250,000 dead, 500,000 persons who depend on humanitarian aid; 3 million displaced people”. This situation has long been familiar, because it has been denounced by various NGOs and UN agencies”. “Neither Europe nor France can fail to react to so much suffering – stress the bishops -. The crisis is grave and we cannot remain silent: wherever man suffers, Christ suffers with him”. Though peace accords were signed in 2006, they have not always been implemented. In their communiqué the bishops urge the provision of “concrete aid, which may be of various kinds”, without forgetting that “tomorrow, after the emergency, it will be necessary to reconstruct” the region. The bishops end by declaring that “our commitment as Christians to peace and justice inspire us to press the candidates in the [French] presidential elections to spell out what actions need to be taken” to resolve this situation.
