 has urged political elites and parties to the peace agreement to honor their commitments and cease exploiting the resilience of South Sudan’s citizens. ){kind=link}
By Ginaba Lino
Juba, South Sudan – The South Sudan Council of Churches (SSCC) has urged political elites and parties to the peace agreement to honor their commitments and cease exploiting the resilience of South Sudan’s citizens.
In a pastoral message concerning the extension of the transition period in South Sudan, His Eminence Stephen Cardinal Ameyu Martin Mulla, Deputy Chairperson of the SSCC, emphasized that a lack of political will has left key provisions of the peace roadmap unfulfilled.
“The Church has been closely monitoring the implementation of the roadmap,” Cardinal Ameyu stated. “All the reasons cited for this latest extension were the same as those given during previous extensions. The Church recognizes that due to the absence of political will, the essential provisions of the roadmap remain unimplemented.”
SSCC leaders underscored the urgent need for genuine political decisions to secure lasting peace in the country. They criticized the political elites for exploiting the resilience of South Sudan’s people, calling on them to live up to their promises.
“While there is a critical need for political decisions to ensure sustainable peace, the political elites and signatories to the agreement must stop exploiting the endurance of the people. They should adhere to their promises,” the Church leaders stressed.
The SSCC also called on all stakeholders to prioritize peace, healing, and reconciliation as vital pillars for national recovery. Additionally, they urged the government to address the needs of those affected by floods, as well as refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), and to mitigate the country’s dire economic situation by ensuring timely payment of civil servants and organized forces.
In a reminder to the nation’s political leaders, the Church recalled their commitments made during the 2019 South Sudan Spiritual Leadership Retreat in Rome and the Ecumenical Peace Pilgrimage led by Pope Francis.
“We remind the political leaders to stay true to the commitments they made during the 2019 retreat in Rome and the Ecumenical Peace Pilgrimage,” the Church leaders reiterated.
The joint pastoral statement also expressed appreciation to regional and international communities, along with Ecumenical partners, for their ongoing support of South Sudan in its quest for peace and development.