Juba, 17 December, 2019 / 2:21 am (ACI Africa).
Leaders of Christian denominations in the world’s youngest nation have, in their collective Christmas message, to advocate for lasting peace in their country, imploring the parties in conflict to engage in dialogue and make compromises to facilitate the formation of a unity government envisaged in the September 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
“The Church welcomes continuous dialogue among the parties to the R-ARCSS on outstanding issues of the peace agreement and encourages the parties to compromise in the interest of peace for our people,” reads part of the Christmas message by Church leaders under their umbrella body, South Sudan Council of Churches (SSCC).
“The Church is concerned about military confrontations and unresolved differences between parties to the R-ARCSS and non-signatories. We call on all these parties to cease all hostilities and use dialogue to resolve their difference,” the Church leaders stated in their collective message signed by seven representatives including Catholic Church’s Archbishop Paolino Lukudu of Juba and Fr. James Oyet Latansio who is the General Secretary of SSCC.
“Let us pray that the will to resume dialogue on issues of concerns and tensions may prevail between the parties and that a negotiated solution can finally be reached, one that would allow the peaceful coexistence of communities of South Sudan,” the leaders expressed.
In 2013, civil war broke out in South Sudan after President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar and others of attempting to overthrow his government.
