SOUTH SUDAN: President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference Urge Political Leaders and Stakeholders to Respect and Abide by Provisions of the Peace Deal
Cognisant of the considerable challenges which lie ahead of the implementations of the recently signed peace deal, sustainable reforms, security of the people as well as services provision to citizens, the President of Sudan and South Sudan Catholic Bishops Conference (SCBC), Rt. Rev. Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala has said that parties to the conflict should demonstrate through actions and words that they are committed to peace.
Terming the signing of the peace deal a miracle resulting from their recent Ad Limina Visit to Rome, Bishop Hiiboro of Tombura Yambio Diocese, explained that while they were in Rome and around the Holy Father Pope Francis on September 12th 2018, South Sudanese Political Leaders put their differences aside once again and signed the document committing themselves to peace.
“This is something which can never fall short of a miracle in a spiritual sense. The Holy Father, since day one of our protracted senseless war has never ceased from praying, lobbying, appealing and working for an end to the conflict in South Sudan. If this has been signed as peace accord when we are still covered by his love and true fatherly concerns, what can we say at the end? It is a miracle!”
Bishop Hiiboro expressed that those who are seen to be working against peace or violating the provisions of the agreement should be held to account. He implored both regional and international bodies such as the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) to continue playing key roles of ensuring that the peace agreement is upheld in letter and spirit.
“As Church, we urge all leaders and all those concerned, to respect and abide by the provisions of the agreement and, above all, foster political will so as to enable the implementation of the final peace agreement. We strongly believe that without such political and national will, peace will never come to the people of South Sudan,” Bishop Hiiboro said.
The Bishop observed that citizens of the young nation, South Sudan, have heavily paid the price of the senseless violence and must now think and create networks of peace through reaching out to all with whom peace can become a reality in the country where it is threatened by the ruthless networks of injustice, violence, hate, negative ethnicity, indifference, lack of forgiveness, poverty and terror.
“The Church will always stand with the right option and, above all, any move that is inclusive, and which can bring genuine peace to a troubled nation as South Sudan is welcomed. We admire the move taken by the regional and international partners such as IGAD and more especial Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, and Ethiopia to settle those difficult issues around ceasefire, security arrangements and governance. These concerted approaches to bring about peace to South Sudan ought to continue to ensure its implementation without hindrance,” he said.
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By Pamela Adinda, AMECEA Online News
