Church leaders in South Sudan have called for an immediate halt to hostilities and urgent action to protect civilians amid worsening insecurity, killings, abductions, and displacement across the country.
In a statement issued Oct. 5, members of the South Sudan Council of Churches — which includes representatives of the Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference — said the suffering of South Sudanese people had reached a point where “silence is no longer an option.”
“We, the church leaders of the South Sudan Council of Churches, express our grave concerns over the continuing deterioration of the security and humanitarian situation in the country,” they said.
The leaders called on the government, traditional authorities, armed groups, and communities to end violence and revenge attacks, secure roads and river transport corridors, and guarantee “safe and unhindered humanitarian access” to affected populations.
They also urged the strengthening of local peace and reconciliation mechanisms, calling on parties to the conflict and communities to choose “restraint over retaliation, dialogue over confrontation, and reconciliation over revenge.”
“We have endured decades of conflict,” they said, adding that South Sudanese “deserve to live without fear of being killed on the roads, displaced from our homes, abducted from our communities, or caught between armed forces and armed youth.”
This year, South Sudan has reportedly experienced renewed fighting between government forces and armed opposition groups, alongside intercommunal violence and the mobilization of armed youth. In parts of Jonglei and Upper Nile, insecurity has driven displacement and disrupted humanitarian operations.
In June, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees warned that months of fighting in eastern Jonglei had forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes.
In an April report, UNICEF said more than 330,000 people had been displaced by ongoing fighting and airstrikes as of March, the vast majority of them women and children. Displacement was also spreading into neighboring Lakes and Upper Nile states, placing pressure on communities and basic services.
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan documented 206 incidents of conflict-related violence affecting 1,388 civilians between January and March.
According to its June 30 press release, 767 civilians were killed, 457 injured, 93 abducted, and 71 subjected to conflict-related sexual violence.
In their Oct. 5 statement, South Sudan church leaders highlighted killings, abductions, and displacement across several parts of the country, saying unsafe roads and restricted humanitarian access were worsening conditions for affected communities.
In Upper Nile State, they identified Nasir and Ulang counties as areas where renewed armed confrontations and the mobilization of armed youth had caused deaths, displacement, and disruption of humanitarian access.
They also reported civilian deaths and displacement linked to fighting, intercommunal violence, and the mobilization of armed youth in Nyirol, Uror, Ayod, Akobo, Twic East, and Duk in Jonglei state, as well as in the Pibor Administrative Area.
The leaders raised concern about insecurity around Bentiu in Unity state and in the Ruweng Administrative Area, citing its effects on displaced and vulnerable communities. They also highlighted intercommunal and revenge-related violence in Tonj North and Gogrial East in Warrap state, and in the Abyei Administrative Area.
In the Equatoria region, they said insecurity and attacks along the Juba-Mundri, Juba-Torit, and Juba-Bor roads were threatening civilians and humanitarian operations.
Parts of Yei River County and communities in Western and Eastern Equatoria “continue to experience the effects of armed insecurity, confrontations, and displacement,” they added.
The Christian leaders urged South Sudanese to reject hatred, retaliation, and violence, and to work together for peace, reconciliation, and the protection of their shared destiny.
They prayed that God would “heal our wounded nation” and grant wisdom to its leaders, expressing hope that every community in South Sudan could live “in peace and dignity.”
This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.