Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Khartoum (Agenzia Fides) - “People are sad, people are angry; there is a lot of fear and nobody wants to go home. We have to put courage in people. We have to turn to God, to love him and to discover ourselves in the light of God’s teaching,” Bishop Edward Hiiboro Kussula of Tombura-Yambio (South Sudan) told Sudan Catholic Radio, in explaining the meaning behind the three days of fasting and prayer declared for the Catholics of the Western Equatoria State (one of the States of South Sudan), to plea for peace in the tormented region of South Sudan.
The region has been under seige from Ugandan guerrillas of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), which has carried out atrocities on the innocent population. The humanitarian aid organizations in the area denounce the fact that women and children are deliberately targeted by guerrillas. “The violence is different than typical livestock raids seen every year. Women and children, often spared from these disputes, are now being targeted and the number of dead surpasses the number of wounded,” says a declaration from “Médecins Sans Frontières” in South Sudan. “This is the difference: the intention is that of attacking a village and killing persons. The result is a population that lives in udder fear, with large humanitarian and medical needs. This onslaught of violent attacks throughout the region is worsening the already disastrous humanitarian situation of the people of South Sudan,” the statement added.
At least 140,000 people have been forced to flee their homes as a result of the fighting between the communitie in the states of Jonglei, Upper Nile, and Lake. Various attacks from the LRA in the equatorial states have forced another 65,000 people to flee the area.
The three days of prayer and fasting ended with a 20 km march from Nzara to Yambio, led by Bishop Hiiboro and Episcopalian Bishop Peter Munde, which was attended by hundreds of faithful. “We believe that for us to talk about peace first we have to calm ourselves; we have to understand ourselves,” Bishop Hiiboro said, adding that the prayer and fasting have been an occasion for the renewal and promotion of the culture of peace.
Sr. Giovanna Calabria, Superior of the Comboni Sisters in Nzara, who attended concluding rally in Yambio, said that it was a very moving experience seeing everybody barefooted and wearing dirty old cloths as a sign of penance, asking for forgiveness and peace.
The Governor of Western Equatoria, Jemma Nunu Kumba, took part in the event, together with other officials and a delegation from Juba. The representatives from Juba promised to bring the issue of insecurity in Western Equatoria to the attention of the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 7/9/2009)
