Stephen Ameyu Martin Cardinal Mulla of South Sudan has underscored the important role of the multi-year Synod on Synodality in addressing the socio-political and humanitarian crises facing South Sudan and other regions of the continent. Speaking at the Friday, October 18 Media Briefing at the Vatican, the Local Ordinary of South Sudan’s Catholic Archdiocese of Juba emphasized the need for dialogue and collaborative efforts to tackle the challenges plaguing his country and neighboring Sudan. Reflecting on the ongoing challenges in South Sudan, Cardinal Ameyu indicated the unfulfilled promise of peace and stability following the country’s independence in 2011. The Archbishop of Juba said members of the Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SCBC) have made efforts to continue supporting the people, especially the impoverished in South Sudan and Sudan. However, Cardinal Ameyu explained that the “wars that we had before was a war that people wanted to be free. Now the people of South Sudan and Sudan are free from themselves because they were unable to live in peace.” “But now we realize that there are still issues that we have to resolve together. In fact, there are these important human problems that are created by humans. War still continues in Sudan, our neighboring country, our sisterly country,” the Catholic Church leader lamented. He added, “We got this independence from Sudan. We thought that we were going to solve our problems. But it seems that problems have increased.” Cardina Ameyu lamented that despite the September 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), its lack of implementation has resulted in continued instability, corruption, and the mismanagement of resources. “In South Sudan, we still have outlining issues of the revitalized peace agreement, which, in a way, the leadership in South Sudan is unable to implement to the letter,” he said. Cardinal Ameyu recalled a 2018 audience Pope Francis held with the South Sudanese President and the leader of the opposition when the Vatican brokered a peace deal between the parties. “They came here to the Holy Father. Many of you witnessed how the Holy Father was very touched by the situation … but after they left, they did not implement the revitalized peace agreement. So, as a result, the country is still unstable. We continue to insist as Bishops that this revitalized peace agreement should be implemented by the letter,” The South Sudanese Cardinal said. He added, “We are affected by this because there is corruption and mismanagement of the country’s resources. It is a country that came out and it had the potential of being a good and prosperous country. But because of mismanagement, a lot of problems have happened. And so many people are suffering.” According to Cardinal Ameyu, the solution to the country’s stalemate is synodality. “The synodal journey helps us the Church to resolve many problems together. Synodality — going together — is for us the way to achieve peace,” he said. Continue reading the article from ACIAFRICA |
Date Published:21 October 2024 Author:Alice, Officer
Article Tags: Latest news, South Sudan, Solidarity, Peace, Bishops of South Sudan, Sinodality |
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