Pope Francis, Justin Welby and Jim Wallace send a joint message to the political leaders of South Sudan

Pope Francis, Justin Welby and Jim Wallace send a joint message to the political leaders of South Sudan encouraging them to do more to shape a nation “in which the dignity of all is respected and all are reconciled.”

Marking the 10th anniversary of the Independence of South Sudan, Pope Francis and the leader of Church of England, Archbishop Justin Welby, and Moderator of the Church of Scotland, Rev. Jim Wallace, reach out to the leaders of the world’s youngest nation with an appeal to do more for the good of their people.

In their letter, the Holy Father, Archbishop Welby and Rev. Wallace, note the sad predicament of South Sudanese whom, they say, “continue to live in fear and uncertainty, and lack confidence” that their nation can indeed deliver the ‘justice, liberty and prosperity’ celebrated in their national anthem.

Increasing violence and a fragile peace process

Increasing intercommunal violence, the  threat of the peace process unraveling, and dire humanitarian conditions across large swaths of South Sudan continue to plague development. More than a year after President Salva Kiir and former opposition leader Riek Machar formed a unity government, there has been slow progress on implementing the country’s main peace agreement, which was signed in 2018 formally ending a civil war that began in 2013. Read more …