A PEACE-BUILDING project in crisis-hit South Sudan has been axed as a result of the Tory government’s 59% cut in aid to the country.

The move to slash Christian Aid’s work comes as peace is on the brink in South Sudan, and has been condemned by Sally Foster-Fulton, head of the charity in Scotland.

The funding cut is taking place three years after a fragile peace agreement which risks being undermined by ethnic and regional tensions, made worse by Covid-19 and climate impacts.

The world’s newest country is also facing a hunger crisis with more than seven million people – around 60% of South Sudan’s population – struggling to find enough food to eat and 82% living in extreme poverty.

The Church has so far played a key role in peace-building in South Sudan, and has been consistently identified as one of the few institutions in the country with the ability and credibility to address the root causes of conflict in a multi-level approach.

James Wani, country director for Christian Aid in South Sudan, said the cuts risked having a “lethal” effect on the chances of a lasting peace.

“The Church reaches across the nation through deep local networks, and has played an important role in local peace-building for decades, while striving to ensure that local voices and concerns are reflected in the national-level process,” he said.

Christian Aid’s peace-building work has cost £800,000 per year over the last three years and made it possible for the South Sudan Council of Churches, in collaboration with the charity, to support reconciliation and peace-building efforts in conflict hotspots while persuading political leaders to uphold the implementation of the peace agreement, as well as campaigning against hate speech and countering fake news and misinformation of Covid-19 and vaccines.

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Foster-Fulton (above) said she was “bitterly disappointed” the UK aid cuts had gone ahead.

“These are tough times and governments have tough decisions to make but balancing the books on the backs of the poor isn’t the way to do it,” she said.

“Since the pandemic started many of us have come to realise just how interconnected our lives are with others across the world, our global neighbours. With coronavirus, conflict and climate change pushing 41 million people in over 40 countries towards famine, this is not the time to reduce the aid budget, even if it’s a ‘temporary’ measure.”

Last week the SNP’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford told Boris Johnson to “come clean” over suggestions he offered Scottish Tory MPs government jobs to secure their backing for the foreign aid cuts.

The Conservatives made an explicit manifesto commitment in 2019 to maintain the overseas budget at 0.7% of national income but are now cutting it to 0.5%. A total of 24 Tory MPs rebelled against the proposal, including former prime minister Theresa May.

Yet all six Scottish Conservative MPs, including Douglas Ross, backed the Johnson administration and voted in favour of the £4 billion cut.

Blackford said: “Reports – publicly backed by a senior Tory figure – that the offer of government promotions was ‘dangled’ in front of Tory MPs in exchange for their votes raises very serious questions.

“I have written to the Prime Minister offering him the opportunity to categorically deny that Scottish Conservative votes to cut foreign aid were bought off with the promise or discussions of government jobs.

“We know all too well the rogue and immoral manner in which this Tory government is being run. In stark contrast to Westminster’s cuts to aid, the SNP Scottish Government is increasing its International Development Fund by 50%.”

The Scottish Tories, who were condemned for backing the “deplorable” cuts, dismissed Blackford’s comments as “SNP nonsense”.

Christian Aid has recently launched a global hunger appeal with a focus on South Sudan which has just marked its 10th anniversary since its formation as a country.