The Catholic Archbishop of Juba, Paolino Lukudu Loro has called on the government to end inter-ethic violence which has caused deaths an displacement in parts of the semi-autonomous South Sudan. The Bari and Mundari communities are fighting over cattle raiding in Jebel Lado area, north of Juba.

Archbishop Loro urged the government to arrange for the immediate return of all the looted livestock and to see to it that all the human lives lost are compensated. Besides, the government should also reinforce the rule of law, disarm armed persons and bring to justice the perpetrators of the conflict.

“This situation which has left many dead, wounded and others displaced, must end now,” Archbishop Loro said in a statement.

He rejected claims by the Governor of Central Equatoria that church leaders were fueling the bloody fights between the Mundari and Bari communities.

“The Church is all over preaching the Good News, providing education, rebuilding the people, etc. How can the Church turn and fight itself? We reject these claims and accusations because they are unfounded, not true and unacceptable,” the archbishop said.

The archbishop strongly condemned the conflicts, particularly the abduction of children. There were also incidents of rape and robbery, free movement of arms and gangs that had forced out some residents. He noted that that the presence of the Ugandan rebel Lord Resistance Army (LRA) in the area worsened the situation.

The government, archbishop Loro said, is “fast losing credibility as a result of the state of lawlessness, which it cannot contain in the villages. The raiding of livestock and looting of property have left a landmark that will never be easily forgotten.”

The archbishop said that the people of South Sudan should come together as one people irrespective of their differences to implement and defend the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

“The CPA, a gift of God to the people of Southern Sudan is one fact that has to be made understood to the people. Through it, God answered our prayers for the uplifting of the sufferings and indignities experienced for more than five decades. It is an answer to the prayers of the people for justice, peace, respect for human dignity, rights and prosperity.”

Source: CISA