By Otto Abut | CRN
The Sudan and South Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference has strongly condemned the recent killing of hundreds of innocent civilians in Ayod County of Jonglei State and Abiemnhom County in the Ruweng Administrative Area.
Over 100 people were reportedly killed following a deadly attack on Abiemnhom County in the Ruweng Administrative Area in the early hours of Sunday, March 1, 2026, at about 4:00 a.m.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, the President of the Bishops’ Conference and Metropolitan Archbishop of Juba Archdiocese, Stephen Cardinal Ameyu Martin Mulla, made an urgent appeal to authorities to intervene immediately.
“We issue an urgent appeal to the transitional government at all levels. You are the custodians of the common good entrusted with the duty to protect life. We call upon you to act immediately and transparently, investigate these atrocities, bring the perpetrators to justice, and ensure that such evildoing does not happen again.” The statement read.
The Bishops condemned the incident in the strongest terms, describing the killings as a grave offense.
“There is no justification for murdering innocent civilians. Such acts are an offense against God, the author of life, and a grave sin against humanity,” the clergy stated.
The Catholic Church leadership also called on the government to deploy adequate resources to protect vulnerable populations and to foster dialogue and reconciliation instead of violence and revenge. They offered condolences to the bereaved families and expressed solidarity with the afflicted communities.
The Bishops affirmed their closeness to the local Church leaders directly affected by the violence, including Stephen Nyodo Ador of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Malakal and Christian Carlassare of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bentiu.
“We turn our hearts to our esteemed brothers… We recognize the weight of this grief upon you as shepherds,” the statement noted.
The Catholic leaders further called upon humanitarian organizations and all people of goodwill to support affected communities and survivors who are traumatized and urgently in need of psychosocial support and basic necessities.
“Let us be instruments of God’s love, providing help and hope to those in distress,” they urged.
The Bishops reaffirmed their continued commitment to advocating for the voiceless, defending the vulnerable, and fostering reconciliation across South Sudan.