South Sudanese Military Urged to “respect life, dignity of human beings” for Peace

Yei, 28 February, 2023 / 8:54 PM

The Bishop of South Sudan’s Yei Catholic Diocese has urged military personnel in the East-Central African nation to foster “total peace” in the country by respecting human life and the dignity of persons.

Bishop Alex Lodiong Sakor Eyobo who was addressing the military at the end of their three-day dialogue in the Rubeke sub-Boma of Otogo Payam in Yei River County also challenged the security personnel to live up to their “responsibility of protecting citizens.”

“For us to have total peace in the country we need to respect the life and dignity of human beings, we should not pour someone’s blood for nothing,” Bishop Lodiong said during the February 25 event that was organized by the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO).

He underscored the need for “everyone” in the country to “respect each other”, adding that it is in exercising mutual respect that South Sudan “will really have peace”.

“There is a need for us to have peace as civilians, the army, and the country at large,” the 52-year-old South Sudanese Catholic Bishop who started his Episcopal Ministry on 15 May 2022 said.

He further emphasized the need for civilians and the army to strive for cooperation based on the principle of mutuality, saying, “Let’s build good relations among ourselves so that we can be able to move forward.”

“There is no army that doesn’t want to stay with civilians because the army is defending civilians and civilians are feeding them,” Bishop Lodiong explained, and added, “There is no army that can survive without the presence of the civilians; that’s why the relationship between the two is very important.”

The Local Ordinary of Yei Diocese continued, “If we have soldiers listening to us, there should be good relationships among us as the people of this country.”

“We will find ways to talk to those in the bush because it’s very important that they have a good relationship with the civilians,” he further said, and called on the political leaders in South Sudan “to look at the situation of our people because all of us have the right to life and a good living.”

The Catholic Church leader went on to appeal to Salva Kiir-led government to address the challenges that ordinary South Sudanese are facing.

He said in reference to the challenging situation of many South Sudanese, “We will take this issue from here and tell our politicians for them to know that those who are down here are suffering.”

“As a Church, we will not see our people suffering and keep quiet because those people are created in the image of the Church,” Bishop Lodiong said during the February 25 event.