Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The South Sudan Council of Churches has called on political leaders to end fighting and release all political detainees in an appeal of Christmas.
Speaking to the media in Juba this morning, Archbishop Justin Badi Arama, the chairperson of the Council of Churches, said this year’s Christmas comes at a time when the country is facing serious economic and security challenges.
Archbishop Badi, who is also the Primate of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan, said repeated failure by political leaders to fully implement the peace agreement has weakened public trust in the peace process.
“The Christmas this year comes amidst harsh economic challenges, much violence and killings taking place, and our people who struggle to make ends meet and work for daily bread and desire only peace, continue to suffer.
“There is deep eroded public trust for the repeated failure in the implementation of a gaining peace in South Sudan by the political leaders and the few elites. As your spiritual leaders, we encourage you not to lose hope, because the good news that will cause great joy for all people is born,” he said.
He appealed to leaders to stop all forms of war and engage in genuine dialogue to address ongoing conflicts in the country.
The senior cleric also urged the government to release all political detainees, including those currently undergoing court trials in Juba.
“We urge our political leaders to stop all forms of war, for there is no victory in war. We urge them to embark on genuine and truthful dialogue in addressing all forms of conflict, and every dialogue starts with true forgiveness, and the government of South Sudan should lead by example by releasing all those political opponents with whatever political charges detained and undergoing court trials in Cuba. There must be new page open for inclusive political dialogue within and with the held-out groups,” he appealed.
Archbishop Badi further called on regional and international partners to continue supporting humanitarian assistance for people affected by floods and conflict across the country.
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