The South Sudan Council of Churches (SSCC) has intensified its peacebuilding and reconciliation work across the country as violence continues to rise sharply.
The conflict in South Sudan, particularly in the lead-up to 2026, combines a struggle for political power, resource control and state sovereignty among rival elites, which has escalated into violent ethnic and inter-communal confrontations. As of early 2026, this ongoing violence continues to disrupt a fragile power-sharing agreement, resulting in significant civilian displacement and humanitarian crises.
The SSCC is an ecumenical body whose ten member churches include Anglican, Catholic and Presbyterian churches. The Chair of SSCC is the Most Revd Justin Badi Arama, who is Primate of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan. As one of the Council's founding denominations, the Episcopal Church has long played a central role in the SSCC's work on peace and reconciliation and is a central expression of Anglican witness in the country.
In his Easter Message this year, Archbishop Justin referred to the situation in South Sudan saying: '... we celebrate Easter this year where shouts of joy are drowned out by the cries of hunger from displaced people in camps and by the suffering families of civil servants who have faithfully worked without salaries for several months. There is deep trauma and anxiety as the dignity of human life is diminishing. People die on roads and in towns in numbers without accountability.'
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According to OHCHR, figures show a 40 per cent increase in conflict-related incidents between 2024 and 2025, with more than 5,100 people were killed or injured in 2025. OHCHR also monitored more than 250 individual cases of conflict-related sexual violence, though the true number of women and girls affected is likely much higher
In Jonglei -- the state worst affected by fighting -- 26 healthcare facilities have been destroyed, leaving 1.35 million people without access to medical care. Two-thirds of South Sudan's population, around ten million people, are projected to require humanitarian assistance in 2026.
Against this backdrop, the SSCC has pursued a wide-ranging programme of community-level reconciliation, women's empowerment and diplomatic engagement, drawing on its position as a trusted and neutral body across the country's divided communities.
SSCC hosts two-day peace and reconciliation conference
The SSCC hosted a two-day consultative conference bringing together elders from the Jieng (Dinka) and Naath (Nuer) communities to deliberate on peace and reconciliation in South Sudan. The meeting took place on 26-27 February 2026 at the Council of Churches premises in Juba and marked a significant moment in ongoing efforts to address tensions between communities and promote grassroots peace initiatives.
Inter-communal violence has continued to affect Warrap, Lakes, Unity, Jonglei and Upper Nile, and the SSCC convened the gathering to move from reactive responses toward structured, community-owned dialogue.
Participants' dialogue sought to explore the root causes of violence, ways to develop community-led strategies for conflict prevention and the role of a Joint Peace Committee to sustain ongoing dialogue between the two communities.
The dialogue was part of the Council's Church Initiative for National Healing and Reconciliation, which engages leaders, women, youth and traditional authorities across South Sudan in truth-telling and trust-building. The Anglican Communion has echoed these calls at the international level, with its representative at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva this year urging South Sudan's political leaders to work with the SSCC to reduce tensions and violence.
In a recent newsletter, the General Secretary of the SSCC, the Revd Tut Kony Nyang, said: 'During this critical time, the South Sudan Council of Churches remains steadfast in its commitment to peace, unity and national healing. As a trusted moral voice and a platform that brings together people from all communities and denominations, we believe our nation can overcome division and build a future founded on justice, dignity and hope. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God."'
The General Secretary has also been clear about the Council's driving conviction: 'Our faith compels us not only to comfort those who suffer, but also to speak courageously for justice and peace.'
Women at the centre of peacebuilding
Across Wau, Malakal and Juba, women participating in the SSCC's APPEAR project (implemented in collaboration with FCA South Sudan) have taken active roles in grassroots advocacy, conflict prevention and inter-community reconciliation.
In the Greater Upper Nile region, the SSCC Women's Desk in Malakal is leading a dedicated programme to equip women and youth with skills in mediation and dialogue facilitation, recognising that women are frequently excluded from formal peace processes despite playing vital roles in community cohesion.
On 6 March, women of faith gathered in seven locations across the Equatoria region (including Juba, Yei, Mundri, Maridi, Yambio, Nimule and Torit) to mark World Day of Prayer, a global Christian observance held every year on the first Friday of March.
Organised through the SSCC's Inter-Church Committee, the gatherings, held under the theme 'I Will Give You Rest: Come,' brought together women from different denominations to pray for healing, justice and peace, and to strengthen ecumenical networks across the region.
Appeal to Kenya
In November 2025, the Most Revd Justine Badi Arama and other senior church leaders wrote formally to Kenyan President William Ruto, appealing for continued support for South Sudan's fragile peace process.
Quoting Proverbs 11:14, 'For lack of guidance, a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisors', the communiqué acknowledged Kenya's longstanding engagement in South Sudan's peace journey (from the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005 through to its current mediation efforts).
The communiqué also called for renewed commitment to high-level political dialogue, an immediate ceasefire, and conditions for credible elections. It also urged that the role of faith institutions and civil society in any lasting political settlement be recognised and supported.
Anglican Advocacy: Refugee Crisis, Peace and Reconciliation
The level of humanitarian crisis in South Sudan is continuously represented through the Anglican Communion's presence at the United Nations and other forums.
In the months ahead, the UN team will raise issues in Washington DC, London (the UK and US are part of the 'Troika' working diplomatically to support South Sudan, along with Norway), with UNMISS and the UN Human Rights Council.
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The Anglican Communion has also worked ecumenically to advocate on matters of refugee and migration. In December 2025, Anglicans and Lutherans shared a statement, affirming that 'we are engaged worldwide in hands-on efforts to serve, protect, and accompany refugees. We also work together with refugees, who must play a key role in shaping their futures'.
The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion speaks out on South Sudan
The need to work for peace and stability in South Sudan continues to be supported by the Anglican Communion's Secretary General, the Rt Revd Anthony Poggo. Bishop Anthony was born in South Sudan and forced into exile as an infant during the first Sudanese Civil War, later returning to serve as Bishop of Kajo-Keji from 2007 to 2016. He named South Sudan explicitly in his Easter message this April, describing tensions there as contributing to mass migration and humanitarian crisis.
Speaking in support of the efforts of the SSCC, The Secretary General said:
'The numbers of displaced people coming out of South Sudan are devastating and around 70 per cent of the population needing humanitarian assistance. But behind every statistic is a person made in the image of God. Let us pray for the ongoing work of the South Sudan Council of Churches, as they work alongside community organisations and other civil society actors to reach people in places and in ways that others cannot always access. May God strengthen them as they seek to build bridges and foster peace.'
