Retired Catholic Bishop calls for the unity of Southern Sudanese ahead of 2011 Referendum
June 19, 2010 (TORIT, Eastern Equatoria) — The Retired Catholic Bishop Emeritus of the Catholic Diocese of Torit Bishop Paride Taban has called upon all the people of Southern Sudan and those in the Diaspora to get united ahead of the 2011 referenda that will determine the future destiny of the people of South Sudan.
Bishop Paride Taban paid a visit to the newly elected governor of Eastern Equatoria Stat Louis Lobong Lojore, Paride was accompanied by a number of clerk men from the holy trinity peace village Kuron who came to congratulate the governor upon his April election victory as the State governor of the State and bid him encouraging words to serve the citizens of the state with courage and the strength of the almighty God.
Bishop Paride said he supports the cry of the people of Southern Sudan whether they will choose unity or Separation [but] they must analyze it very well with all the experiences they had undergone of 25 years of turmoil and human.
He added that many people had now diverted from the church enjoying the little material peace of the world, he called upon all Sudanese to be much watchful of the threat ahead of the referenda in the Sudan and always act positively in peace.
He said, the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) had many a time being provoke with the northern government but normal acted mutually and in a peaceful manner in pace just for the sake of peace in the Sudan, he said the community must always stand firm with all these temptation until they harvest what they had struggle for all those years that thousand had lost their dear one, destruction of developmental institution and the imbalance in term of development in the Sudan.
In his response to the visiting veteran church leader, Governor Louis Lobong described Bishop Paride as “the architect of development and a hero of the people of Eastern Equatoria and the entire Southern Sudan”.
He assured the Bishop that, his government is going to join hands together with the church and especially the Bishop to work to help the communities in the State through this difficult moment in the history of South Sudan.
Lobong recognized the work of the retired Bishop during the war in the State in supporting the needy and desperate communities in difficulties, building schools and health institutions across Eastern Equatoria State.
Paride added that during the recent German peace conference on peace during war time that he had assured the delegation that attended the conference that “Sudan will never go back to war again now and even after the Referendum to determine the future of the desperate Southerners”.
Bishop said the Southerners are more peaceful people than many people outside Sudan perceive it.
(ST)
braveheart
Retired Catholic Bishop calls for the unity of Southern Sudanese ahead of 2011 Referendum
Bishop Paride needs to stay out of Sudan’s Dirty Politics and focus his energy on the Church or Let someone Call Kuol Manyang to slap his hairy face again.
Grader
Paride is a hero
In the trying days of early 90s, Paride was standing shoulder to shoulder with brave men in Buna. Preaching the gospel so that the Jesh Shabi face Jihadist with courage, we did, eventually retaking our rightful land and place in Africa.
Paride is a hero. I am alreadu lobbying “a Paride Boulevard” in my state as a honour to a man of courage.
Dinka Boy
Retired Catholic Bishop calls for the unity of Southern Sudanese ahead of 2011 Referendum
Thanks Bishop Taban for your couragous words to our South Sudanese. We want to stand firm inorder to achieve our interest that we fought for years.
It’s regretable for people of Eastern Equatoria to be told that they have killed most of SPLA cowardly from 1990-1994 because they have been mislead by Madukuru/Arab during those days.
This time our country-South Sudan need to erase weak heart that most of us support enemy( Jallaba). I hope Bishop Taban will speeched out these inmportant words to those who live in little huts so that they can understand the essential of the South Sudan.
I approciate the words of Bishop Taban.