The Archbishop of Canterbury on Saturday night appealed to South Sudan leaders to lay down weapons and seek peace through dialogue and negotiations.
In a joint statement Archbishop Justin Cantuar, Cardinal Peter Turkson, and President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace; and Lorna Hood, Moderator of the Church of Scotland prayed that all in South Sudan become instruments of peace.
They said ‘as we approach the celebration of the birth of our Saviour, the Prince of Peace, this is a time for the vulnerable, the weak and the poor to be spared the trauma of civil conflict.’
They added that ‘we bear in mind the call of the Holy Father for peace in 2014, especially because in God’s design at creation, we are sons and daughters of the one God and Father.’
They acknowledged the role of Christian leaders in South Sudan as working for unity and courage of faith for peace.