South Sudanese clerics decry killings, deteriorating economy
May 26, 2015 (JUBA) – South Sudan Council of Church (SSCC) leaders have asked government to urgently tackle the deteriorating economy and end killings in the country.
“If our statements are not headed, we will take more proactive steps to achieve and reconciliation for the people of South Sudan,” partly reads SSCC’s 26 May statement.
“Any long term solution to the conflict must take account of the needs of the ordinary people, not the agenda of the political and military elite,” it stressed.
South Sudan recently witnessed renewed clashes between its military and the armed opposition in Unity and Upper Nile states, displacing tens of thousands of civilians.
Addressing the Security Council last week, the head of United Nations mission in South Sudan, Ellen Margrethe Loj described as “extremely worrying”, the humanitarian situation in the country, appealing to the warring parties to immediately cease hostilities.
The clerics appealed to the country’s political and military leaders to listen to voices of church leaders, who speak on behalf of the citizens.
“We seriously doubt whether this new statement will be headed by our leaders, but nevertheless we want them, along with the citizens of South Sudan, our friends in the region and the international community to know that we are watching and we are aware of what is happening,” stressed the statement signed by eight church leaders.
“It is important for us to speak truth to power, even if those in power ignore truth,” it adds.
The religious leaders also warned of new armed rebellions emerging in the country and the increase in hostilities among its communities, a day after the spokesperson for the South Sudanese army admitted that a new rebel group exists in Western Equatoria
state.
Also of concern, they said, were the killings, torture, destruction of properties in the country, further cautioning security operative against taking the law into their hands.
(ST)