SOUTH SUDAN: South Sudanese Bishop Condemns “Fueling Hate Speech” via Media Platforms

Sr. Anne Henriette Owino, FSSA

A Catholic Bishop in South Sudan has denounced the use of social media as means of fueling hate speech in the country, calling on citizens to advocate for peace and be “extremely cautious in what they say, write or forward others.”

“Today, in our nation, social media is full of hate emotional expressions… We read a lot of hate speeches, South Sudanese insulting one another in the media while the world is looking at us as bunches of enemies inhabiting South Sudan,” Bishop Barani Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala laments the misuse of media platforms in a statement shared with AMECEA online Thursday, August 26, stressing that “This mentality is against our unity and mutual co-existence, hence the need to “stop instantly!”

The appeal to stop the spread of hate speech “which has been yielding so nasty deadly results with extremely huge loss of innocent lives, displacement, destructions of all types, hate, disunity, hunger and suffering of every kind,” comes following the violence taking place in Western Equatoria State which Bishop Hiibro of Tombura-Yambio Diocese says “is breaking up the long admired peace traditions.”

He referenced the letter of Apostle Paul to the Ephesians advocating the importance of peace saying, “Do not use abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful so that your words will be an encouragement or grace to those who hear you.”

According to Bishop Hiiboro, “Hate speech poisons the mind, heart and only helps the “merchants of death, ” and that “South Sudanese have suffered for years since time memorial.”

“Hatred must give way to dreams, hate speech and writings frighten our national and personal friends, tourist, investors and even our friends who supported us all through these years. We need them in our journey,” he narrated and further ordered “all Church owned media channels (FM Radios, forums, pages,) of Tombura-Yambio never to communicate any piece of information which can incite ill-feeling or lead to abuse. All messages must be by and large for peace in all totality!”

According to the Prelate, there is “Inadequate national leadership” which influences in all spheres including, “ failure of the justice system, unemployment, corruption and lack of internal cohesion in political parties and various institutions as causes of community and national violence in the country.”

“The inadequate security, poverty, lack of a peaceful culture and lack of integrity by us all are also fertile grounds for community and national violence,” the Bishop disclosed reminding all citizens that they have “the power to promote and support public policy and the wellbeing of members such as re-echoing to the authorities the voices of the poor.”

Addressing Religious leaders in his Thursday statement, Bishop Hiiboro asked them to encourage citizens’ “to see their opponents as fellow human beings as it is evident in the teachings of the Holy Bible and also in the Holy Quran.”

“I call on us as Religious leaders from all divides in the country to continue raising awareness and influence attitudes, behavior and practices in order to curtail community and national violence,” he said.

He further urged citizens to encourage and support the government “to a very challenging process of implementing the Revitalized Peace Agreement in the Country,” reminding them of the encouraging dialogue between the “national unity government and hold out functions by the Vatican and the desire for repatriating refugees.”