South Sudanese church leaders support proposed peace agreement

[World Council of Churches] The South Sudan Council of Churches (SSCC) has encouraged all parties to the conflict to sign the “Proposed Compromise Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan.”

The proposed agreement was presented by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and urges an end to the on-going conflict in the country.

In a statement issued on 8 August, Christian leaders who represent member churches of the SSCC and the World Council of Churches (WCC) pushed for stronger peace initiatives in the country after their meeting held during the last week of July in Juba.

“We have consistently called for an immediate and unconditional end to the fighting. The war must stop immediately. There is no moral justification for this senseless war. It is unacceptable that people continue to kill and be killed while leaders argue over power, positions and percentage,” said the South Sudanese church leaders in their statement.

“We are calling for an immediate ceasefire, and we ask the IGAD PLUS to put down the mechanism of protecting and maintaining the ceasefire. This will give the parties in the conflict an atmosphere for frank, trustful and sincere talks,” the statement continues.

“We therefore urge all parties to sign the Agreement, and to honour it by implementing the ceasefire,” said the church leaders.

WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit has expressed his strong support of the SSCC statement. “Their plea must be heard now. They speak on behalf of a whole nation which is in a severe crisis. God loves every citizen. Now is the time to stop this senseless killing,” he said.

The WCC has been engaged since the 1970s with its member churches in Sudan and South Sudan, and with the All Africa Conference of Churches in support of peace initiatives. The WCC 10th Assembly held at Busan in the Republic of Korea in 2013 made South Sudan one of the priority countries in Africa for the WCC to support nation building efforts.