A cleric serving in a mission experiencing tribal tensions is encouraging the conflicting communities to understand and respect each other because peaceful co-existence requires value for human life.
Fr. Mark Ofuho is the Rector of Rumbek’s St. Josephine Bakhita Minor Seminary in Mapourdit, Yirol East County of Lakes State. He told Good News Radio that the minor seminarians, who recently returned to Mapuordit after a couple of weeks in Yirol due to insecurity around Mapuordit, now feel secure following the deployment of hundreds of soldiers.He remarked that Mapuordit residents remain fearful of retaliatory attacks and that they did not return to their homes despite the strong presence of security forces.
The rector said SPLA soldiers took the lead in reconciliation initiatives, establishing dialogue with the Jur from Mvolo County of Western Equatoria State and a section of Dinka Atuot from Yirol East County of Lakes State.
Fr. Ofuho urged the communities in conflict to value each other as human beings, stop the culture of revenge and respect for human life to promote peaceful co-existence.
Fr. Ofuho said the conflict will end when communities understand each other and respect the law.
He added that the conflict was started by thieves that should face the law.
Mapuordit Minor Seminary has a total of 74 seminarians drawn from the different missions of the Catholic Diocese of Rumbek.