SOUTH SUDAN: Archbishop of Juba Archdiocese Regrets the Killing of Two Sisters

Ginaba Lino

The Archbishop of Juba Archdiocese regrets the killing of two nuns in an ambush at Juba Nimule highway on Monday

In an inclusive interview with AMECEA correspondent in Juba, August 17, 2021, the archbishop Stephen Ameyu Martine stated that, he couldn’t imagine why some people would like to kill sisters on the day light because sisters are women and they are to be respected

“I know Sisters are women and they are to be respected. They do not participate in any social or political matters and to my knowledge those innocent Sisters have just died because of many circumstances. Until now, we don’t know the motive of those who killed the Sisters because their bus was well known and even by how they dress.”

Archbishop Ameyu says after the burial, the Archdiocese will come with a statement concerning the attack against the sisters

“As the Archdiocese continue to mourn the sisters, after the burial, we will come with our own statement concerning this attack against the Sisters, this must not be something we can just let it by. Since 2013, many people have just perished on this way to Nimule”.

We would say those rubbers are not rubbers but killers; they are murderers who kill any innocent person.

He calls on the government to protect the safety of the citizens because if the president use the same road and he went safe what of the citizens

“if they are robbers they should be apprehended. We will invite the government also to take such issues seriously because who can be safe now? The president was with us at the celebration because he was escorted. Maybe that’s why they did not attack him, but what of the poor people of South Sudan? What are they going to do? Are they supposed to be escorted by the convoy? That cannot happen because we do not allow the freedom of people to be restricted.”

As a matter of principle, we expect peace implementation of the revitalized peace agreement and we as bishops have gone to the president of the Republic of South Sudan to meet him on the process they have undergone to bring sustainable peace to the country. Why do people have to continue dying even as the implementation of the peace agreements is going on?” He wondered.

The Archbishop stressed that if those who are against peace are the one who have killed the Sisters, they should take the right procedure to address the matter than killing innocent people because that is not a way of bringing peace

On Wednesday, a report came from the national police service saying three individuals arrested along Juba-Nimule road following Monday’s killing were charcoal makers. Till now, it’s not clear if the government has arrested the perpetrators on the killing of the Sisters.

The ambush on the commercial vehicles happened in Kubi area after the return of Christians from the centenary celebration of faith at Our Lady of Assumption at the Catholic Diocese of Torit.

The two Sisters were Sr. Mary Daniel Abut the farmer Mother General for the congregation of Sacred Heart and Sr. Regina Roba who was working at the Catholic health institute in Wau Diocese until the day God took her Soul.