South Sudan’s Bishops call for peace, justice, and reconciliation

Written by Francesca Merlo, via Vatican News.

Amid rising violence and political instability, Church leaders demand action and accountability from South Sudan’s government.

Following their annual meeting in Juba from 7–11 July, the Bishops of South Sudan released a powerful statement highlighting the country’s deepening crisis: widespread violence, economic hardship, and a collapse of humanitarian protections. Communities face airstrikes, ambushes, abductions, and sexual violence. Children are still being recruited into armed groups, and mass displacement continues, leaving families without access to food, shelter, or healthcare.

“Has South Sudan not suffered enough?” the Bishops ask, lamenting the repeated cycles of conflict since independence. They point to the lack of political will to implement the 2018 Revitalised Peace Agreement, accusing leaders of prioritising personal and factional interests over national well-being.

Caritas Internationalis has backed the Bishops’ appeal, calling for urgent action to address the growing humanitarian emergency.

Recent developments underscore their concerns. On the 8th of July, President Salva Kiir dismissed the head of the army, intensifying instability within the military. Violence has also flared in Western Equatoria, displacing thousands, while political tensions rise amid a series of purges targeting opposition-aligned governors.

International attention briefly turned to South Sudan after eight men convicted of violent crimes were deported from the US to Juba, drawing widespread criticism given the country’s fragile state.

Amid this turmoil, the Bishops urge an immediate end to violence, the creation of safe humanitarian corridors, tax exemptions for relief goods, and full access for aid organisations.

Marking the anniversary of independence, they honour the people's resilience but insist that lasting peace requires real leadership and a renewed commitment to justice and reconciliation.

Quoting Pope Leo XIV, they write: “It is a time of conversion and renewal… an opportunity to leave conflicts behind and embark on a new path.” That path, they conclude, must begin now.