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Sudan Tribune

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Australian Archbishop agitates for peace in South Sudan

April 24, 2016 (BOR) – The Archbishop of Adelaide in Australia, Jeffrey Driver has called on the political leaders and citizens of South Sudan to work for meaningful peace in the country.

Archbishop of Cantebury Justin Welby prays at the ECS All Saints church in Juba on January 30, 2014 during a two day visit to South Sudan (AP/Mackenzie Knowles-Coursin)
Archbishop of Cantebury Justin Welby prays at the ECS All Saints church in Juba on January 30, 2014 during a two day visit to South Sudan (AP/Mackenzie Knowles-Coursin)
Jeffrey, who arrived in Jonglei state on Saturday, addressed the congregation at Bor Cathedral Sunday before he visited mass graves of those perished during the war.

“It is a great pleasure to be with you in South Sudan, particularly in Bor to continue building our relationship that has been there for more than 10 years now”, he said.

Thousands of South Sudanese lived in Australia after they sought resettlement when war intensified between the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement and the Sudan government.

According to Archbishop, the recent war, caused damages on the people of South Sudan, but urged the population to accept and work for true and meaningful peace in the nation.

“I will wish politicians in this country to work for peace to alleviate the suffering of people. He had witnessed hundreds people who had no enough food and no hope for their future”, said Jeffrey.

“True peace is more than just to end the war. It is the peace for which people can do well. It is the peace in which children grow in happiness with great hope for future. Even if the wars end, it is still a long way to achieve shalom peace”, he added.

The Australian Archbishop said it was everyone’s duty to contribute to peace in South Sudan.

“We might think that UN [United Nations] will fix everything right. But everyone one of us has a role to play. God sent us to be forgivers. This country needs spirit of forgiveness and it must start in the church. If this true peace comes, we will not see tears again in our faces. Muslims and Christians will be one, white and black people will work together, Dinka and Nuer will live as brothers and sisters”, stressed the cleric.

As part of their contribution to help people in Jonglei state, the Adelaide Archbishop and his team had pledged to start construction of a clinic inside Bor Cathedral land in Lekyak to improve the health situations of children and women in Jonglei state and beyond.

“A healthy population starts with children and women,” he said, adding that the clinic was a to help people at this critical time where needs for basic services was widespread.

(ST)

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