Call for peace, justice and reconciliation in South Sudan

Caritas Internationalis supports the recent statement issued by the Catholic Bishops of the Ecclesiastical Province of South Sudan. In their urgent statement, titled “Let Justice and Peace Embrace”, the Bishops address the government and people of South Sudan, acknowledging the deepening political, social, security, economic and humanitarian crisis facing the nation. The full statement is available here.

The message was delivered during their annual meeting, held from 7–11 July 2025 in Juba. With deep sorrow, the Bishops described the worsening situation across the country: a surge in violence and insecurity, marked by aerial bombings, ambushes, abductions, rapes, and violent raids. Communities are being torn apart, children are being forcibly recruited into militias, and countless families are being displaced amid growing hunger and economic hardship.

In the face of these atrocities, the Bishops stated:

Has South Sudan not suffered enough? Have the people not endured the horrors of war for too long?

Catholic Bishops of the Ecclesiastical Province of South Sudan

Despite verbal commitments to peace from the government and opposition leaders, the Bishops have observed a lack of genuine action, which continues to drive the nation into chaos, along with the failure to implement key security arrangements under the 2018 Revitalised Peace Agreement.

They also denounce violence as a false and destructive solution, urging political and military leaders to place the well-being of the people above personal ambition.

In this Jubilee Year of Hope, the Bishops call for:

• An immediate cessation of violence.
• Full and unimpeded humanitarian access to all affected areas.
• The establishment of protected corridors for aid delivery.
• The exemption of humanitarian goods from taxation, to enable faith-based and humanitarian organisations to serve the most vulnerable.

The Bishops commemorate the 14th anniversary of South Sudan’s independence with both celebration and reflection. They honour the resilience of the people and call for a renewed national spirit of unity and healing.

The statement also recalls Pope Leo XIV’s exhortation at the beginning of his ministry: “It is a time of conversion and renewal… an opportunity to leave conflicts behind and embark on a new path.”

Source: https://www.caritas.org/2025/07/caritas-south-sudan-supports-bishops-call-for-peace-amid-escalating-violence-2/