South Sudan church leaders call for halt to hostilities, civilian protection

Church leaders in South Sudan have called for an immediate halt to hostilities and urgent action to protect civilians amid worsening insecurity, killings, abductions, and displacement across the country.

In a statement issued Oct. 5, members of the South Sudan Council of Churches — which includes representatives of the Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference — said the suffering of South Sudanese people had reached a point where “silence is no longer an option.”

“We, the church leaders of the South Sudan Council of Churches, express our grave concerns over the continuing deterioration of the security and humanitarian situation in the country,” they said.

The leaders called on the government, traditional authorities, armed groups, and communities to end violence and revenge attacks, secure roads and river transport corridors, and guarantee “safe and unhindered humanitarian access” to affected populations.

They also urged the strengthening of local peace and reconciliation mechanisms, calling on parties to the conflict and communities to choose “restraint over retaliation, dialogue over confrontation, and reconciliation over revenge.”

“We have endured decades of conflict,” they…