Sudan angry at Carey for cancelling visit

THE Islamic Sudanese government yesterday attacked the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, after he cancelled a visit to the North of the country, which the government controls, at the last minute.

Dr Carey flew last night to Nairobi, from where he will visit the rebel south. The civil war in the Sudan between the largely Muslim north and the partly Christian south, has been fought for 27 of the last 37 years.

Abdul Wahab al-Effendi, the Sudanese spokesman in London, said: 'The Archbishop wanted to distance himself as much as possible from the government and people of the Sudan. He said himself that his visit was 'to show the Sudanese people that they are not alone in their struggle'.

'Dr Carey did not see fit to extend sufficient courtesy to the Sudanese episcopacy by accepting their hospitality . . . They insisted on doing all their communications through the British Embassy, which made it look as if it were a British government exercise and not a spiritual, pastoral visit.'

Canon Roger Symon, the Archbishop's Secretary for Anglican Communion Affairs, said yesterday: 'Dr Carey certainly wants to support churches and Christians; and he is going to be very clear on abuses of human rights, whether these are committed by Muslims on Christians, by Muslims on Muslims . . . or by Christians on Muslims.'

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