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Lasting Peace in South Sudan Preoccupies Church Leaders at National Prayer Day

Archbishop of Juba, South Sudan, Paulino Lukudu Loro

By Peter Mapuor Makur

Juba, 20 September, 2019 / 4:00 pm (ACI Africa).

The need for lasting peace in South Sudan against a backdrop of a protracted civil conflict preoccupied leaders from various Christian churches when they gathered Thursday, September 19 at their country’s State House in Juba for the National Prayer Day.

"We have been praying for the peace of South Sudan for a long time,” the Catholic Archbishop of Juba, Paulino Lukudu Loro told delegates from government and Church leaders who gathered for the annual prayer event organized by the South Sudan Council of Churches (SSCC).

“Where is this peace of South Sudan?” Archbishop Loro posed and questioned the possibility of any entity being able to give lasting peace.

“Is it (peace) with the politicians? Is it with IGAD? Is it with the International Community? Is it with America?” the South Sudanese Catholic Prelate queried rhetorically.

He regarded the person of Jesus Christ as the source of lasting peace for South Sudan saying, “We can help ourselves to get this peace of Jesus; the Church can help us to get this peace of Jesus, others can help us to get this peace of Jesus, God can help us to get this peace of Jesus.”

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Archbishop Loro who turned 79 in August saw hope in “the September 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS),” which he described as representing “an opportunity to build peace and stability in South Sudan.”

“It (R-ARCSS) has good resolutions, programmes and plans,” Archbishop Loro, a Comboni Missionary told South Sudan government officials and Church leaders, calling on stakeholders “to accept and implement it.”

On his part, Archbishop Justin Badi Arama of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan (ECSS) considered love as the basis for peace in South Sudan and challenged the political class in the world’s youngest country to practice it (love).

“If there was a love vaccination, South Sudanese Politicians would have been injected with it, in order for them to love one another,” Archbishop Arama was quoted as saying.

For the head of Pentecostal Church of South Sudan (PCSS) Bishop Isaiah Majok Dau, investing in reconciliation and forgiveness would guarantee lasting peace in South Sudan.

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South Sudan President Salva Kiir used the event to express his resolve to form the government of national unity ahead of the November 12 deadline saying, “"In November it is a must that the government shall be formed.”

“If SPLM-IO does not want the formation of the government, the other parties that signed the peace agreement have to go ahead with SPLM and form the government," South Sudan head of State said.

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