“The head of state ordered the resumption of negotiations in honor of the coming spiritual leaders,” the South Sudanese Minister said in reference to the peace negotiations that Sant’Egidio Community, the Rome-based lay Catholic association dedicated to the provision of social services and arbitrating conflicts, spearheaded.
The Holy Father is to set to arrive in South Sudan’s capital, Juba, on Friday, February 3 on the second leg of his two-African-nation visit that has started in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Tuesday, January 31.
In his address to journalists January 28, Dr. Marial is quoted as saying that President Kiir “has instructed the government delegation to return to the negotiating table with the opposition parties.”
“As a government, we are ready to resume the talk with the opposition to bring peace to our people and the country,” Dr. Marial said on the day he was touring the streets where the delegation of the Holy Father is scheduled to pass through.
He added, “We expect the country to have stability and reconciliation through the visit because the nation has been going through tough times.”
In December 2022, the leadership of Sant’ Egidio Community met with South Sudan’s President, Salva Kiir, over the resumption of the suspended peace talks.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Sant'Egidio representatives at the meeting reportedly reiterated their commitment “to bring peace and stability to Africa’s youngest nation.”
“We will continue mediating between the government and holdout groups in order to find an amicable solution for the sake of the South Sudanese people,” the Secretary General of Sant'Egidio Community, Dr. Paolo Impagliazzo, was quoted as saying.
Dr. Impagliazzo added, “We are committed to bringing the two sides closer for common understanding to restore peace and stability in South Sudan.”
Patrick Juma Wani is a South Sudanese journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. Patrick holds a Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication from Makerere Institute for Social Development (MISD) in Uganda. He has over 7 years of extensive experience in leading the development and implementation of media, advocacy, communication and multimedia strategy and operations, with an excellent track record of editorial leadership, budget management, and stakeholder outreach. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.
