The Rev. Thomas Agou Kuur said dozens of his colleagues from the Episcopal Church have lost their lives since the civil war began in the country. Kuur, who is the assistant bishop of Bor Diocese, said that the people of South Sudan, especially militia groups, don’t respect church leaders and instead kill them based on ethnicity.
The Dinka and Nuer are the two largest ethnic groups in South Sudan, and they have been fighting each other for political and economic power since even before the civil war. The Dinka ethnic group generally supports Kiir, while the Nuer ethnic group backs Machar.
“When militias from Dinka get a priest from the Nuer tribe, they will just kill him without considering that he is a priest serving everyone. It’s the same situation when militias from Nuer get a Dinka priest,” he said.
“We should care and love each other because we all belong to God, and therefore, we should respect human life,” Kuur added.
Meanwhile, Kussala, the bishop of Tombura-Yambio, urged communities and political leaders to reconcile their differences and pursue peace, justice and reconciliation for the sake of the suffering people of South Sudan.
“I want to appeal for an end to violence in the country because it’s destroying our lives and livelihoods daily,” he said, pointing out tribalism and hatred as the main enemy of South Sudanese. “As a church, we will continue to walk the path of peace and to reach out to the vulnerable who want our help. We urge the government to protect the country from violence and church leaders as they carry out their ministries.”
This article originally appeared on ReligionNews.com.
