Juba, February 28, 2019 (SSNA) — The September 2018 peace agreement is breaking up and all parties to the agreement are either already fighting or preparing for the resumption of the war, South Sudan’s Catholic church warns Thursday.
In a statement released by the church leaders, Archbishop Paulino Lukudu Loro said the document was endorsed by the church bishops after talks in the capital, Juba.
“While the level of the conflict has reduced, the cessation of hostilities agreement is not holding. All the parties are involved either in active fighting or preparations for war,” Archbishop Paulino was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying.
Church leaders also explain that war crimes and other crimes are still widespread in the young nation.
“The value of human life and dignity is forgotten as human rights abuses continue with impunity, including murder, rape, widespread sexual violence, looting and the occupation of civilian land and property,” Paulino explained.
South Sudan’s government has a history of killing church leaders it deemed a threat to its existence. Many South Sudanese preachers including foreigners were killed because they raised issued related to ongoing civil war or criticize the authorities.
There are also many South Sudanese analysts who have also warned that there are signs indicating that the agreement will likely fail, citing lack of commitment in the implementation process.
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The ward that bishop expressed about peace in south sudan,s a very true, said no peace because of failure not to address the rootcause of war; implemented by Garang Angok….
All indications show all these .It is time bomb in the making.
Church leaders in s.Sudan are not playing their role as peace makers, so they shouldn’t put the population in fear by posting negative statement about the peace deal.