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South Sudan’s Archbishop Lauds Gov’t for Reconstituting Transitional National Parliament

Part of front page of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) signed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in September 2018. Credit: IGAD

The Archbishop of South Sudan’s Juba Archdiocese has commended the country’s leadership upon the announcement of the newly appointed members of the Transitional National parliament from the sides that clashed in the nation’s protracted civil war.

On Monday, May 10, President Salva Kiir Mayardit issued the decree for the appointment of the National Legislative Assembly members in accordance with the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).

In his address to the local media on Wednesday, May 12, Archbishop Stephen Ameyu also passed a goodwill message to all those who had been appointed in government.

“I would like to congratulate the government of Salva Kiir for having reconstituted and expanded the parliament, congratulation to each Member of Parliament,” the Local Ordinary of South Sudan’s only Metropolitan Catholic Archdiocese said.

The peace agreement signed in September 2018 in Ethiopia’s capital city, Addis Ababa, stipulated that about a quarter of lawmakers would come from the main opposition, the Sudan’s People’s Liberation in Opposition (SPLM-IO).  

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Majority of the total 550 legislators have come from the governing Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM). As per the agreement, the MPs were not elected, but have instead been nominated by different political parties to R-ARCSS.

Speaking to the press in the Catholic Diocese of Torit where he is Apostolic Administrator, Archbishop Ameyu said, “I certainly know that MPs have a new mandate as members of parliament at the national level and it is time for them to commit themselves to their duties as law makers.”

South Sudan’s assembly consists of 550 members as stipulated in the September 2018 R-ARCSS.

In his congratulatory message to the new parliamentarians, the Catholic Archbishop urged lawmakers to commit themselves to their constitutional duties and responsibilities.

“This new task that you are assuming is not going to be just like before, but I would like to request all of you to commit yourselves to the people you are representing,” said the Archbishop of Juba.

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“This revitalized peace agreement this time is not only for you to be a member of parliament or minister but it is for you to commit yourself to the people you are representing,” he said, and added, “It is a great task for you to see it carefully to begin to work for the good of the people of South Sudan.”

Urging the legislators to collaborate and embrace unity, the Archbishop said, “Your unity and cooperation reinforces peace in the country.”

“The building of peace will be done by you as parliamentarians and you are the ones to disseminate peace to all people of South Sudan because you hail from different parts of this country,” he said, adding, “I invite all of you to work for a common good so that this peace will be strengthened and will remain with us as a difference of signing this agreement.”

The Local Ordinary of Juba Archdiocese prayed for wisdom and courage to all the newly appointed national MPs, saying, “May God bless you in the new assignments you have and may God give you wisdom and courage to forge unity together in the parliament so that you are able to move ahead with all the problems of South Sudan.”