Cardinal Ameyu hopeful for lasting peace in South Sudan
Paul Samasumo – Vatican City
“If the people of South Sudan have accepted the postponement of the elections for another two years and political parties through the inter-party dialogue are also agreed, we have no problem with the status quo. The only thing that we as a Church can do is to urge the political parties in South Sudan that, they need to prepare well for the elections. When the time comes for the polls, everyone in South Sudan should be able to exercise their right to vote and do so freely and in peace,” said the Cardinal.
Need for a national census
Last month, on 13 September, South Sudan President Salva Kiir’s office announced an extension of the transitional period by two years. It postponed national elections, which were due in December 2024. The Government cited the need for more time to conduct and complete a national census, write a permanent Constitution, and create a Voter Register.
On Saturday, 21 September, the Transitional Constitution was duly amended to extend the transitional governance arrangements in place by another two years since the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan was signed.
The 2018 peace agreement brought to an end a five-year conflict. Official estimates say between 2013 and 2018, over 400,000 people were killed as a result of the war. Nevertheless, there is still concern about the widespread intercommunal violence and the presence of small arms and light weapons across the country. The war also ignited a major refugee and Internal Displacement crisis.
Economic and social hardships
The postponement of elections in South Sudan comes amid huge economic and social hardships. According to the UN, nearly nine million people, almost 76 per cent of the country’s population, need humanitarian assistance. Some young people in South Sudan have since resorted to crime.
“I know that there are still armed groups in South Sudan, and that is a problem. Our politicians must work hard to tackle multiple challenges: What is the way forward in overcoming the difficulties that have led us to this stage? By the way, the problems in South Sudan are coupled with economic problems. Some of the violence that we are experiencing now is connected to the devastating economic problems people are facing daily. Some armed groups have no political agenda. They are just criminal groups who want to rob people on the road because they are hungry,” Cardinal Ameyu explained.
The Tumaini Peace Initiative 2024
The Cardinal, however, commended progress on the recent Tumaini Peace initiative.
“While we have criminal gangs, that is not to say we do not have armed groups affiliated with rebels. Thanks to the Tumanini Peace Initiative, there is hope that most of these armed groups are now being convinced to join the comprehensive peace agreement,” said the prelate of Juba.
The Tumaini Peace Initiative was launched in May 2024 in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. It is a high-level mediation seeking a long-lasting and all-inclusive resolution to the conflict in South Sudan. The idea is to incorporate all the remaining holdout groups that have not signed the 2018 R-ARCSS (Revitalised Agreement on Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan).
Pope Francis’ visit to South Sudan
When asked if Pope Francis’s visit to South Sudan has had any impact on peace in the country, Cardinal Ameyu told Vatican News that he was seeing the fruits of that visit.
Between 3 and 5 February 2023, Pope Francis undertook a three-day peace pilgrimage to South Sudan.
The Pope was accompanied by Archbishop Justin Welby, the Head of the Anglican Communion, and Archbishop of Canterbury. Also with the Pope was the then Moderator General of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, the Right Reverend Iain Greenshields. The three visited South Sudan to support the peace process.
3,000 persons for the Sacrament of Confirmation
“Certainly, the visit of the Holy Father last year in February has greatly impacted the life of the people in South Sudan. In my own assessment, a lot has changed in the life of the people. From a spiritual point of view, we are seeing more and more numbers in our Churches, and people are seeking to receive the Sacraments. Recently, in Terekeka County, I Confirmed almost 3,000 children. The numbers were already high in South Sudan, but we started seeing these kinds of numbers after the Holy Father’s visit,” Cardinal Ameyu said.
The Archbishop of Juba added, “Politically, the visit of the Holy Father has also impacted the country, especially in our quest for peace. At least from that time on, violence was reduced all over the country. Until today, compared to what we lived through before, I would say the violence has lowered. In some way, the visit has also encouraged the Tumaini process. For our part as Christians, we continue to pray and preach peace,” he said.
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