The Archbishop of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan and Sudan, Rev. Daniel Deng Bul, has expressed hope that the peace initiative currently underway in Lakes state will yield fruits.
The Archbishop of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan and Sudan, Rev. Daniel Deng Bul, has expressed hope that the peace initiative currently underway in Lakes state will yield fruits.
The archbishop is leading a delegation of religious leaders, youth and women spreading messages of peace to communities plagued by inter-communal clashes in the state.
Speaking to media from Rumbek, the archbishop says people are responding positively to the initiative, although reports of revenge attacks and killings continue to emerge from Lakes State, “The campaign is making an impact on sections of the community”, he said.
He explained that the peace initiative involves reaching out to youth in cattle camps and residential areas, and preaching the gospel of peace, love and reconciliation.
“I finished the rally now within the town of Panawach and now I am moving to the cattle camps because I want to reach all the young people who are here, so that they can live in peace and bring God into their hearts. So it is peace mobilization to make sure that all the people of Lakes state are staying peacefully,” he said.
Archbishop Daniel confirmed that he is now moving with four bishops who were recently ambushed on the governor’s convoy between Awerial and Rumbek. He said that none of them was injured in that incident.
The archbishop, who is also the chairperson of The Committee for National Healing, Peace and Reconciliation (CNHPR) in South Sudan is confident that communities in the state will respond to the 14 day peace mission.
“They are saying they are ready to come together because we are talking to them, we are disarming their hearts. We are telling them the word of God. God is love, God is unity. We are all brothers. There is no need for killing one another…To them they said the community is ready to talk and they wanted people to live in peace,” he said.
The peace delegation comprises of ten bishops, and a large number of youth. They hope that the campaign will convince the communities to end the cycle of violence in Lakes state and live in harmony.
Earlier in the year, archbishop Deng revealed the Committee’s plan to deploy “over 550 peace ambassadors to all communities across the country to lead the process of consultation where all voices from the grassroots on peace and reconciliation will be brought forward to develop a national agenda for reconciliation”.
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