South Sudan: celebrating independence, praying for reconciliation

(Vatican Radio) The people of South Sudan celebrate the 2^nd anniversary of their independence on July 9^th.

In preparation for this day of celebration, church leaders called on them to prepare their heart to pray for reconciliation, and to break the cycle of violence and conflict that is still besieging the new nation.

In collaboration with South Sudan President, Salva Kiir Mayardit, church leaders of all denominations invited the faithful to pray to help to heal the trauma of decades of war, and to try to end conflict and resentment that had been fostered and nurtured for many years between South Sudan’s many ethnic groups.

Working for peace by calling people to forgive each other and be reconciled to each other is difficult, but on Monday July 8^th, on the eve of the anniversary of Independence, a National Day of Prayer for Reconciliation in South Sudan took place under the theme “Lamentation leading to repentance and personal conversion/transformation.”

Throughout the day and the whole week preceding it, prayer and fasting took place by groups such as government, youth, military forces, women, and the country’s clergy. On Monday the National Prayer took place in the stadium in South Sudan’s capital, Juba, and in each state capital.

To find out more, Vatican Radio’s Linda Bordoni spoke to Sister Patricia Murray who heads Solidarity with South Sudan in Rome. The “Solidarity” project is a consortium of over 200 religious congregations committed to training teachers, nurses and pastoral personnel in several locations throughout South Sudan.

Sister Pat has just returned from South Sudan and she speaks of the current situation in the nation which has recently slipped from the headlines…

Listen to the interview…

She says in the past couple of years she has witnessed much progress in terms of development – the building of new roads, the repairing of old ones - and she says there is a strong sense of infrastructure being constructed at a government level. “Particularly when you are building a new nation you really have to build government both at local and at national level”.

Within the Solidarity consortium, Sister pat explains, they are committed to capacity building – teachers, nurses and midwifes - and training people to be active within the diocesan structure throughout South Sudan .

She says she was very moved to celebrate the graduation of the first group of nurses who came to the Catholic Health Training Institute in Wau, a city in the Western part of the country. She says 16 young men and women will be leaving the Institution at the end of July, fully trained as certified nurses in the new Sudan. She says they have been extremely well trained and they will be sent out to work in hospitals and clinics throughout the nation.

Sister Pat confirms that low grade conflict continues to flare for example in the area of Jonglei State, some of it tribal, some of it triggered by disaffected members of the former liberation army who are looking to have power in their area. However she says, during her just concluded visit, she heard of a number of these generals and their small militias who had signed agreements with the national government and who had been incorporated into the local army. But, she points out, there is a measure of unrest. In local areas, she explains, it can be over pasture land, “some wanting to grow and some wanting to herd their flocks in the same area”. And she says it is inevitable that the people of South Sudan, having defeated an “external enemy”, now have to face the conflicts within. And she speaks of the skills needed in coming together to build a nation – “not an easy thing to do. Transformation cannot happen overnight”, and she says the country has to grow.

That is why the National Committee for Peace and Reconciliation was recently set up by the President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir. She says this is an important recognition of what is a long process. She says the President has very wisely appointed as Chair Daniel Bul, the Episcopalian archbishop and as vice-president the Catholic Archbishop Emeritus Paride Taban, who is well known for peace-building. The Committee also includes other Christian leaders, Muslim leaders, State representatives and representatives from civil society. “The idea is to have a respected group to lead the development of a process of reconciliation”.

This process – Sister Pat explains - envisages a “listening and consultation” process and the Committee wants to hear from ordinary people throughout South Sudan, naming their concerns as they seek to build a new nation.

Sister Pat says the committee is very realistic. They are saying “we have to look at the roots of our current situation and we have to name what has happened to us during 5 decades of conflict. If you’ve been trained for war and conducted war for 5 decades you don’t suddenly leave behind the habits of a lifetime”.

Sister Pat says two years from independence the feelings of the people are mixed. “On the one hand a great gratitude in finally having been declared a new nation, on the other realism that this was only the first step in making a new nation”. She says “one of the challenges is that people need to leave behind a sense of ‘entitlement’. A feeling that after having fought a long war they are ‘entitled’ to receive the good things of this world. One of the challenges is the area of corruption. There is a feeling that some are benefiting from the fruits of the new nation and others aren’t. For many the needs are very basic like food, water, housing, and land. And sister Pat speaks of the issues of land tenure and land grabbing and of the need for a careful process to establish land rights.

Returning briefly to the Week of Prayer for National Reconciliation Sister Pat says it was beautifully planned and involved people from all walks of life and all religious denominations. The Muslims began the prayer on Friday, and then on Sunday the Christians were praying for peace, and Monday saw all denominations gathered in Juba to pray.

She says : “The process has to begin at a spiritual level – not to say there is no place for political negotiation and community building, and building new links across communities – but it has been acknowledged that the root of all peace building is an impetus that begins from a spiritual space. And hopefully every voice will be heard – and committee members are encouraging people to come and talk to them if they feel left out” because Sister Pat says: “in Sudan we need to find a new language: a language of peace, not of war”.