Many people have reportedly been leaving their homes in Yei River State, running for their lives including those who have just arrived recently from refugee camps in Uganda.
The situation escalated amidst reports of conflict intensification between the government forces supported by Ugandan troops against the holdout NAS rebels under Gen. Thomas Cirilio in the area.
In a press conference organised by Catholic Bishops last Thursday in Juba, The Archbishop Paulino Lukudo Loro acknowledged saying: ‘While people welcome the signing of a peace agreement, there is a sense of hopelessness that this agreement, like so many before it, will not succeed.’ “We fear that our leaders on all sides have other hidden agendas.”
The Archbishop further said this revitalised peace agreement encourages political leaders to bargain over positions and percentages rather than working for the good of the young nation.
“While funds are spent on the military and corruption continues amongst the elite, ordinary people face hardships as the economy continues to collapse around them,” he said.
On his turn, the Bishop of Yei Erkolano Lado Tombe commented saying, peace has not yet come to Yei River State. “Peace is still travelling in order to reach the people of Yei.”
The Catholic Church leaders warned saying, there is fear that this peace deal is on the verge of collapse. “This agreement we knew was prepared by the secretariat and brought and were told, you sign here and they signed it”.
Lukudu said that one of the key drivers of conflict is the number of states and boundaries between ethnic groups in the country.
However, church leaders acknowledged this peace is facing numerous challenges among them demilitarisation of big cities, cantonment of soldiers and the release of all political prisoners.
“While there is a great deal of talk about peace, actions are not matching words,” he said.
They stressed saying the conflict was supposed to end with the signing of the peace deal last year, but violence continues in many areas and the humanitarian situation remains appalling.
MP
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