The metropolitan Archbishop of Juba Archdiocese is calling on the government of South Sudan to apprehend the culprits who killed about 20 people in Kaji-Kaji County last week.
Archbishop Stephen Ameyu Martin says, the government of South Sudan must take serious steps to apprehend the killers.
“We send the message of sympathy and condolences to the families, relatives and friends of the diseased. We the Catholic Bishops ask the government of South Sudan to take serious steps to apprehend the killers and put them to law because no killing is justifiable.”
Archbishop Ameyu adds that the national government should respond to the killings because the responsibility of security is on government.
“We are sadden when people are killed and people keep silent because the responsibility of security is on the government, the protection of the people is on the government so the government should be the first to come out and see what had happen.
Ameyu regrets the killing in Kaji-kaji when South Sudanese were preparing to welcome the Holy Father Pope Francis.
“While we were waiting for the arrival of the Holy Father Pope Francis from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), we were sudden to hear about the brutal murder of twenty people or so in Kaji-Kaji town, we deeply regret the killing of the innocent people in their locality and condemn the act.”
Since 2017, the question of this friction between the cattle keepers and famers has been going until president made a decree for keepers to take their cattle to their locality, but still there is no step taken, Archbishop Ameyu adds.”
He also calls on the government to quickly respond to the ongoing conflict occurring at the border of South Sudan and Kenya.
He suggests the cattle keepers are stationed in a specific place to avoid conflict across South Sudan.
I know the visit of the Holy Father has an impact in community, at least in attitude, we hope that the community of South Sudan should change by the great historic event, he adds.
He appeals to South Sudanese to change their attitude toward peace and reconciliation.
On Sunday Pope Francis called for the laying down of weapons of hatred and take up of prayer and charity.
His Holiness Pope Francis who spent three days in South Sudan made the call in his homily to South Sudanese in Juba.“Let us lay down the weapons of hatred and revenge, in order to take up those of prayer and charity.”