The peace dialogue in Sudan made a great leap forward when the comprehensive peace agreement between Christian and animist black African southern rebels (Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement SPLM) and the Arab Islamist regime in Khartoum was signed on 9th January. It declared an end to the 24-year civil war that displaced 4 million, left more than 2 million people dead, either from violence or war-related famine.

Under the peace deal, southern Sudanese are due to decide whether the south should succeed or remain part of a unitary state with the rest of Sudan. Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir said on Wednesday 9th February that Islam will continue to be the main source of legislation in Sudan even after the peace deal with the mainly Christian and animist southern rebels.

Meloki Kifle of the World Council of Churches said at a dialogue forum in Nairobi involving churches from Sudan and the wider continent, that he was very concerned about that the southern Sudanese, marginalised for almost four decades, may not be in a good position to make an informed choice.

"The churches have a responsibility to start civic education immediately," he therefore suggested.

While churches in Southern Sudan hailed the success of the peace dialogue, in preparation for the social changes ahead, they are gearing up to educate southern Sudanese about democracy and human rights.

Church leaders believed that teaching southern Sudanese civic education will enable them to "own" the peace process, demand accountability of their leaders and guard against further human rights abuses.

During the civil war, many southern Sudanese women and children were abducted by government-sponsored militias and taken north to work for Arab masters. They faced forced labour, rape, and many even forced to convert to Islam.

In face of the hatred between the northern and southern Sudanese, Chairman of the Sudan Council of Churches Rev. John Tong Puk believes that African churches need to help promote good Christian-Muslim relations in the south first, as an integral step for the smooth implementation of the peace agreement in Sudan.

"We have Muslims in the south whom we cannot abandon," he said. "We must move together."

The church leaders agreed to initiate dialogue between Christian and Muslim leaders in the south. Additionally, Rev Tong Puk pleaded for international assistance in the process, "What we need are the resources. People who have been assisting us, like the Americans, must keep that assistance flowing."

Currently, the international community is keeping a close watch on the region to ensure peace is being implemented. The United Nations (UN) Secretary General Kofi Annan has proposed a 10,000-strong peacekeeping force to be deployed under Chapter 6 of the U.N. Charter, meaning the peacekeepers will be able to use force to protect people directly threatened with violence.

The force will also provide humanitarian assistance, help protect women's rights, demobilise child soldiers, tackle the mine problems and raise awareness of HIV/AIDS.