An Anglican bishop in South Sudan is imploring warring factions to make peace and not risk the young country’s future. Bella Zulu of Anglican Communion News Service writes /a>:
Bishop of Wau Diocese in South Sudan, the Rt Revd Moses Deng Bol stressed that for the young African nation to have a viable future there needed to be “love and unity” among its people.
Referring to the 22-year Sudanese Civil War that resulted in South Sudan becoming an independent nation in 2012 he said, “Did our martyrs die so that we would fight each other? Did they die for no good reason and do we keep disgracing them with our actions?”….
“Imagine if President Salva Kiir and former Vice President (now Rebel Leader) Riek Machier could forgive each other now and form a government of national unity. What a statement of faith that would be for the future of our young country. It would give everyone hope,” he said.
More than 1 million people have been displaced inside South Sudan in fighting between forces loyal to Kiir, whose supporters are largely Dinka and Machier, whose supporters are largely Nuer. Zulu reports that “more than 400,000 people have fled to neighbouring countries of Kenya, Sudan, and Uganda, as a result of the conflict.”
Zulu adds:
In term of economic development, parts of the country have slipped back to the levels during the Second Civil War (between 1983-2005). Many people are stuck in UN camps, others are in internally displaced peoples camps, and others in refugee camps in neighbouring countries.