More than a year after the Holy Father visited South Sudan and urged people to put a stop to the bloodshed and violence, the North African country is still plagued with high levels of violent crime and armed conflict between ethnic groups.
During the first week of February 2023, the Pope made a historic visit to South Sudan. While visiting the Christian-majority country, Pope Francis called for unity among the nation’s Christians in efforts to promote peace at an ecumenical gathering with the Church of England’s Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby and General Assembly of the Church of Scotland Moderator, Iain Greenshields.
“Those who choose Christ choose peace, always; those who unleash war and violence betray the Lord and deny his Gospel,” the pontiff said at the time. “What Jesus teaches us is clear: We are to love everyone, since everyone is loved as a child of our common Father in heaven. The love of Christians is not only for those close to us but for everyone, for in Jesus each person is our neighbor, our brother or sister — even our enemies.”
However, the Pope’s call for peace has not quelled the violence in South Sudan. The country has been unstable since it gained independence from Sudan in 2011.
According to the International Rescue Committee, since August 2022 intercommunal clashes have been rising in Upper Nile State, the northeastern part of South Sudan. The violence near the country’s border with its northern neighbor Sudan, has also been increasing over the past year because of a spillover of violence from Sudan’s current civil war.
A United Nations report from December 2023, noted that economic issues have also posed problems for peace. “Localized food insecurity, further exacerbated by the disruption of critical supply routes from the north, has had catastrophic consequences, while the resulting competition for resources has further frayed intercommunal tensions,” per the report summary.
The Vatican, United Nations, and international human rights groups are closely watching the upcoming South Sudan election, which is scheduled to take place in December 2024, and the potential violence that could ensue if the legitimacy of the results is brought into question.
During a recent visit to South Sudan on the first anniversary of last year’s papal visit, Michael Cardinal Czerny called for “a peaceful transfer of power” in the upcoming election and reminded the country’s citizens of the pontiff’s message of peace.
“Dear brothers and sisters, this is a critical moment in the political life of your country,” the Cardinal said during a homily at St. Theresa’s Kator Cathedral of the Juba Archdiocese on February 4.
“As you prepare for the general elections, pray and work hard to ensure that it is nonviolent, fair, transparent, credible, and peaceful,” he said.