Juba — Between light (little) and shadow (a lot), South Sudan celebrated the anniversary of independence on July 9.
On the one hand, there are the timid hopes of a peace agreement with the armed groups that have not respected the 2018 agreements that had put an end to the fighting in various areas of the country, but not all. On the other hand, there are the difficult social, economic and humanitarian conditions resulting from the consequences of the civil war and the worsening weather conditions. Talks have been taking place in Nairobi since May (see Fides, 28/5/2024) between representatives of the Juba government and the groups that did not sign the 2018 agreement (the so-called "Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in The Republic Of South Sudan, R-ARCSS). The term "revitalized" refers to the previous agreement of 2015, which had to be revitalized to take into account the new demands of the parties. However, negotiations have stalled because opposition groups are demanding, as a precondition, the repeal of the law that allows the National Security Service (NSS) to preventively detain a person without a judicial warrant. Another point of discussion is the parliamentary elections, which are scheduled to take place on December 22. The vote is intended to end the transition period provided for in the 2018 agreement that allows President Salva Kiir to remain in power. He has reiterated that the elections will take place on that date. However, it had been proposed in Nairobi to extend the transition period and postpone the elections so that the country's constitution and electoral laws could be finalized. On the economic front, the rupture of the pipeline exporting South Sudanese oil in February deprived Juba of important financial resources, further aggravating an already difficult economic situation. According to international humanitarian organizations, 9 million people in South Sudan are in need of humanitarian aid. The floods that are ravaging the country threaten to destroy the already meager harvests. In this difficult context, the President of the Episcopal Commission for Integral Human Development and Bishop of Tombura-Yambio, Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala, calls on the faithful to hope and unity. "Let us be united in the resilience of faith and place Jesus Christ, our Savior and King, at the center of our new Republic," he said in his message for the anniversary of independence.
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"With unwavering determination and hard work, we can overcome the current economic difficulties and pave the way for a prosperous future for all". In a previous speech to the Catholic Radio Network, Bishop Kussala called for regular elections to be held in December, stressing in this regard that "extending the duration of the transitional government means prolonging the suffering of the people".
