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South Sudan: Our wounds belong to our history; leave a legacy of peace.
On the International Day of Peace, Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala of Tombura-Yambio called on the people of South Sudan to renew their commitment to peace, reconciliation, and justice. He urged the political leaders, communities, young people, and faith leaders to reject violence and rebuild trust amid continuing challenges linked to conflict and displacement.
Sr. Christine Masivo – Vatican City
“Peace begins with me. Peace begins with you. Peace begins with us,” the Bishop of Tombura-Yambio, Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala, declared.
According to an Agenzia Fides report, with these words, the Bishop marked the International Day of Peace, celebrated on the 21st of September. As part of the commemoration, Bishop Kussala made a passionate appeal for renewed commitment to reconciliation and peace in Sudan and South Sudan. He encouraged all to invest in peace, for everyone, everywhere, and every day.
Peace is the key.
In his capacity as president of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Sudan/South Sudan Catholic Bishops Conference (SSSCBC), Bishop Kussala, echoed the suffering endured by communities affected by conflict, displacement, grief, and fear.
“Peace is more than the absence of war,” the Bishop said. “It requires justice, dignity, security, reconciliation, and the courage to rebuild trust.”
He recognised the deep wounds left by years of violence. He pointed to the resilience and hope of the people, calling for prayers for the victims of violence, displaced families, refugees, children growing up amid insecurity, and all those who continue to carry the wounds of conflict.
“Our peoples have carried wounds for too long,” he said. “But our wounds belong to our history; peace is the legacy we must leave to our children.”
Let’s dialogue instead of confrontation.
The bishop appealed to political leaders, citizens, religious and traditional leaders, women, and young people against the backdrop of severe political instability facing both Sudan and South Sudan. He urged communities not to let differences become a source of violence and instead called for dialogue, mutual respect, and public leadership directed toward the common good.
“Let our differences never become reasons for violence,” he said. “Let dialogue replace confrontation, and let public authority serve the common good.”
Referring to the electoral processes Sudan and South Sudan are preparing for, the Bishop stressed the importance of respecting the dignity and rights of every citizen. Political participation, he said, should be peaceful and free from fear, intimidation, and violence. “Political disagreement must never turn a neighbour into an enemy,” he said.
Builders of peace.
Bishop Kussala further urged young people, who represent an important part of South Sudan’s future, not to inherit the divisions and hatred of previous generations but to become agents of reconciliation.
“Do not inherit the hatred of yesterday,” he urged. “Build bridges across communities and differences. Choose education, faith, service and reconciliation over violence,” pleaded the South Sudanese prelate.
He also appealed to families, churches, mosques, traditional leaders, and the media to take their responsibility of building peace seriously. The words spoken and actions taken by individuals and institutions can either deepen existing wounds or contribute to healing.
The bishop entrusted the peoples of Sudan and South Sudan to God, praying for those who mourn; the wounded and vulnerable; leaders, and all those working for justice and reconciliation.
“May Sudan find peace. May South Sudan find peace. May Africa find peace,” he prayed. “Peace begins with me. Peace begins with you. Peace begins with us. May the Lord make us instruments of His peace.”
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