Archbishops' urgent plea for Sudan
The Prime Minister and Archbishop Deng © Downing StreetMonday 11th January 2010
The Archbishop of Canterbury, together with the Archbishop of Sudan, the Most Revd Daniel Deng visiting from Sudan, met with the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary on Monday to discuss the urgency of addressing outstanding issues affecting peace in Sudan.Following the meeting at Downing Street on Monday, the Prime Minister expressed concern at the gravity of the situation. He restated the British Government's commitment to doing all it could to ensure continued civility in Sudan.
Today, Archbishop Daniel Deng will be speaking at the launch of a Chatham House report on Sudan, "Decisions and Deadlines: A critical year for Sudan".
With just one year left until the referendum on the future of Southern Sudan, and elections due in April, the Archbishop of Canterbury has emphasised the vital importance of free and fair elections, and the necessity for concerted international effort to address the continuing humanitarian tragedy.
The meeting at Downing Street followed a press conference at Lambeth Palace, which aimed to draw attention to the challenges threatening the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in Sudan.
Introductions by Archbishop Daniel Deng (Archbishop of Sudan), Archbishop Rowan Williams (Archbishop of Canterbury) and Bishop David Stancliffe (Bishop of Salisbury) were followed with questions from the press.
Listen to the speeches, with Q+As [37MB]