South Sudan, fragile peace as necessary to preserve it

Valerio Palumbu – Vatikan Cydad

South Sudan is at risk of engaging in the nightmare of the civil war. The tensions of the past weeks, which culminated in the arrest of Vice President Rick Mashr, make it look like on April 11, six years ago, when Pope Francis received the new southern Western political leaders in the Vatican, after the agreement was expressed by the Church to end the competition that a “young man” out of 400,000 victims between 2013 and 2018.

Pope’s gesture and peace

But this strong gesture of Francisco, which breaks the protocol, tends to kiss the feet of those who were competitors, President Salva Kiir and Vice President Rick Maher, today with all his sabotage strength to emphasize the urgency of peace. The lower opposition announced, after the arrest of Machar, the peace agreement for the year 2018.

The war in the neighbor Sudan and instability in the century of Africa

Juba’s mediation work was assigned to former Kenyan Prime Minister Rila Odinga, which is appointed by the East Africa Society and was sent to avoid the deviation of the conflict, in the words of the United Nations Secretary -General, Antonio Guterres, “the Horn of Africa, already in crises,” indeed. “South Sudan, one of the poorest countries in the world despite its enormous oil resources, in reality received tens of thousands of people who were displaced in Sudan Neighborhood during the past two years.

Postponement

Warnings have been made about the fragility of the agreement, which has become clear in recent weeks with the escalation of the political confrontation and the return of violent episodes, already at the end of 2024, when President Kiir postponed two years of the decisive history of the elections. It is one of the main provisions of the Peace Agreement, without which the democratic transition cannot be considered permanently. Above all, taking into account that South Sudan has not celebrated the elections since its independence 14 years ago.

Local church invitation

The Episcopal Conference in Sudan and South Sudan (SCBC) has spoken in recent days about the crisis in southern Sudan. The arrest of opposition leaders and the participation of foreign military forces, especially the deployment of the Ugandan Popular Defense Forces, did not increase concerns and lack of confidence except. Such measures are at risk of converting our beloved country into a battlefield for foreign interests and political manipulation.

“We warn our leaders that if South Sudan falls on large violence on a large scale, the consequences will be catastrophic,” the bishops continue to do with the document, and they add that “the loss of lives, the collapse of national unity and the collapse of fragile institutions already will be destroyed for future generations.”

Bishops also call civil society, youth and the international community to join war and work for peace. The end of the message says: “We are still ready to mediate for understanding, and to be the voice of those who do not have a voice that already works alongside all those looking for real peace,” says the end of the message.

In the United Nations warning

Nicholas Heissum, head of the United Nations Mission in the south south of the south of the south of the south (Unmiss) at the end of March (UNMISS): “South Sudan is about to decline in a new conflict.” Heissum, he condemned air attacks against civilians in the northeast of the country.

Confronting power, and thus the need for democratic elections remain the main issues to be resolved. According to various analysts, Kiir, 73, tries to ensure his political isolation to Machar. Since the beginning of February, more than 20 political and military allies have been arrested from the Vice President. Machar also accused the Kiir security forces of attacking two of his training centers near Juba.

Training centers have been created to facilitate the integration of opposition forces into one army, which is another incomplete behavior of the peace agreement. The way of dialogue remains the strongest to overcome the logic of strength, competition and war. The Pope’s gesture, which was renewed for his journey to South Sudan in February 2023 and Angelos, there to remind us.