South Sudan Turns Ten

The anniversary is also marked with a warning from its churches that the country must "stop the self-sabotage of our collective future and prosperity."

The South Sudan Council of Churches said:

"On this day ten years ago, we expected a new ray of hope, optimism and reign of sustainable peace with prosperity. However, those jubilations and celebrations were short-lived as the nation in just a span of two years descended into violent conflicts that have devastated all aspects of South Sudanese lives.

"Painfully, millions of our citizens, who were hopeful and jubilant on this day ten years ago, were suddenly impoverished, made hopeless and reduced to extreme dependence on humanitarian assistance.

"In this second decade, we must stop the self-sabotage of our collective future and prosperity. We must reflect on what went wrong in the first decade after independence, learn from those experiences and rise to the collective responsibility of this generation to deliver our country from its current predicaments. Never again shall our people be merciless victims of our own hands!"

Original photo by Richard Budd

And they weren't alone in praying for peace in this troubled state.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted:

"Today marks 10 years since #SouthSudan's independence. In this joint letter with The Pope and Lord Jim Wallace,* we urge the country's leaders to shape a nation that reflects God’s kingdom - in which the dignity of all is respected and all are reconciled."

Our Sudans Link tweeted:

"On the 10th anniversary of the founding of South Sudan as an independent state, we pray that the people of South Sudan may live in harmony, unity and peace."

UPDATE: Archbishop Justin Badi Arama has just issued a written statement on Twitter.

His Holiness the Pope, The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland sent a joint message to the leaders of South Sudan, saying:

Your Excellencies,

On this day marking ten years since South Sudan’s Independence, we send you our cordial good wishes, conscious that this anniversary calls to mind your past struggles and points with hope to the future. Your nation is blessed with immense potential, and we encourage you to make even greater efforts to enable your people to enjoy the full fruits of independence.

When we last wrote to you at Christmas, we prayed that you might experience greater trust among yourselves and be more generous in service to your people. Since then, we have been glad to see some small progress. Sadly, your people continue to live in fear and uncertainty, and lack confidence that their nation can indeed deliver the ‘justice, liberty and prosperity’ celebrated in your national anthem. Much more needs to be done in South Sudan to shape a nation that reflects God’s kingdom, in which the dignity of all is respected and all are reconciled (cf 2 Corinthians, 5). This may require personal sacrifice from you as leaders – Christ’s own example of leadership shows this powerfully – and today we wish you to know that we stand alongside you as you look to the future and seek to discern afresh how best to serve all the people of South Sudan.

We recall with joy and thanksgiving the historic meeting of the political and religious leaders of South Sudan at the Vatican in 2019 and the weighty promises made on that occasion. We pray that those promises will shape your actions, so that it will become possible for us to visit and celebrate with you and your people in person, honouring your contributions to a nation that fulfils the hopes of 9 July 2011. In the meantime, we invoke upon you and all in South Sudan God’s blessings of fraternity and peace.

View a copy here.

The South Sudan Council of Churches issued a 'Message of Hope' with an endorsement by Archbishop Justin Badi and other Christian leaders in South Sudan, saying:

We, the people of South Sudan in all our diversities, both at home and abroad united in celebrating the historic attainment of the independence of our beloved Country, the Republic of South Sudan on 9th July 2011. The world descended on Juba, to celebrate with us! There was euphoria and triumphalism marking the birth of the World's Newest Nation, the Republic of South Sudan. We hoped that we has finally arrived the promised land after decades of struggles and selfless sacrifices for a better country. As stated in the Text of the Declaration of our Independence, the selfless sacrifices of our martyrs, heroes and heroines were for "the cause of justice, freedom and prosperity for our people." On this day ten years ago, we expected a new ray of hope, optimism and reign of sustainable peace with prosperity. However, those jubilations and celebrations were short-lived as the nation in just a span of two years descended into violent conflicts that have devastated all aspects of South Sudanese lives. Painfully, millions of our citizens, who were hopeful and jubilant on this day ten years ago, were suddenly impoverished, made hopeless and reduced to extreme dependence on humanitarian assistance.

As We mark ten (10) years of our independence today, with pains in our hearts, there is little to celebrate. Is it truly a difficult time and experience for us, the people of South Sudan. Our hearts continue to groan with pain, anguish, turmoil, despair, and misery as lives are lost every day in every corner of our country. Conflict has become the context in which we are evolving with rampant proxy inter-communal violence, increasing cases of sexual violence, revenge killings, land grabbing and child abduction. These protracted armed conflicts have not only destabilized our peace but have also retarded the socio-economic development of our country. These conflicts have rendered our first ten years of independence, "a wasted decade". We are at a standstill in many ways!

The Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) signed in 2018, was the most viable framework for peace and a beacon of hope for South Sudanese. Unfortunately, it's slow and inconsistent implementation is very worrying and shattering all hopes to restore stability through this Peace Agreement; and there appears to be a lack of political will. In the reality of this uncertainty, "The Church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of Truth" (1 Timothy 3:15) and Reconciliation, has continued to stand strong with the people of South Sudan in advocating for sustainable Peace, Justice, Healing, Forgiveness and Reconciliation in the land. We shall continue to urge all the parties to the Revitalized Agreement to implement this agreement, embrace peace, cease violence and resolve differences through peaceful means. We also urge the non-signatories to continue in the path of dialogue with the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU) to achieve sustainable peace for the people of South Sudan facilitated by the Community of Sant'Egidio in Rome.

With collective efforts and responsibility from all Citizens, Political Parties, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and indeed all sectors of our society, in the country, the glimmer of hope and optimism that the nation exhibited on the day of independence ten years ago can still be rekindled.

On this occasion of commemorating the first decade of our independence, the South Sudan Council of Churches (SSCC), declares the Second Decade of South Sudan's Independence as a period of a new beginning of Peace, Justice, Freedom, Forgiveness, Reconciliation and Prosperity for our people. It must not be another lost decade! It is an opportunity to rescue our people from imposed destitution and sustain their livelihoods. In this second decade, we must stop the self-sabotage of our collective future and prosperity. We must reflect on what went wrong in the first decade after independence, learn from those experiences and rise to the collective responsibility of this generation to deliver our country from its current predicaments. Never again shall our people be merciless victims of our own hands!

We call on our brothers and sisters in the Global Ecumenical Church Fellowship, the International and Development Partners and friends of South Sudan, who stood with us in our difficult years of the struggle for our independence, not to abandon us in our journey of the next ten years. We must continue to work together for that which will set our country on a new course - a course that leaves no one behind. Together we can have a peaceful
South Sudan for all our citizens. Faith, Hope, and Love will drive us forward and sustain us in this noble task (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:13). We shall overcome some day. We make this declaration is the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit! And together we says: Oh God bless South Sudan.

View a copy here.

The Ecumenical Network of South Sudan (ENSS) issued this statement:

Today, the 9th of July 2021 we, the undersigned churches, faith-based organisations and members of the Ecumenical Network of South Sudan (ENSS), mark the 10 year anniversary of South Sudan becoming the newest country in the world, following the demands of the people in their referendum.

The first sentence of the independence declaration of South Sudan recalls “the long and heroic struggle of our people for Justice, Freedom, Equality, Dignity and Political and Economic emancipation”. The declaration “resolved to establish a system of governance that upholds the rule of law, justice, democracy, human rights and respect for diversity”.

While people joyfully celebrated their independence 10 years ago, today we need to express our deep concern. We stand in solidarity with the people of South Sudan who for many years have borne the burden of conflicts and injustice, instead of enjoying the fruits of a new system. We urge the signatories to the agreement to implement R-ARCSS in letter and in spirit and bring an immediate end to the continuous suffering of people in various locations of the country.

We express our solidarity with the children and youth of South Sudan, who wish to live in a country of opportunities, where they can happily learn in schools instead of being drawn into armed struggles. We express our solidarity with the women of South Sudan, acknowledging and supporting their meaningful participation in governance and peacebuilding. We express our solidarity with survivors of violence and commend women and men for their strength in speaking up against sexual and other violence, in defiance of a culture of stigma and fear of retaliation. We would like to draw attention to the urgent need for peace and a transparent governance system with binding laws and implementation of those laws in South Sudan. We urge parties to the conflict in South Sudan to lay down arms, uphold the protection of civilians, to prohibit their respective forces to commit, command or condone acts of violence including sexual violence.

The implementation of the revitalized peace agreement of 2018 (R-ARCSS) started just before the outbreak of the worldwide Coronavirus pandemic. The implementation has been slow, but the agreement holding for nearly two years has now made some progress. We commend important steps like the current constitution making process to build on the principles of justice, freedom, equality, dignity, and political and economic emancipation. Citizens of South Sudan on all levels must have the chance to actively participate in the permanent constitution making process.

Nevertheless, as members of the ENSS, we express our grave concern about the continuation of violence in various areas of the country, where civilians continue to suffer, being killed, displaced, sexually abused, or starved.

We call upon the national, regional and international community to encourage the government in Juba to implement the peace agreement, to mitigate the looming crises in South Sudan. The government must be encouraged to engage the non-signatories to the R-ARCSS in a productive dialogue. In order to enable full civilian protection, the government needs to pay greater attention to transform and unify the army to include all the communities in South Sudan. Special attention must be paid to transitional justice, accountability, compensation, and reconciliation processes to overt cycles of revenge in South Sudan. The church can play a pivotal role in this. We strongly call upon the international community, UN agencies and our own governments to urgently provide increased funding to locally driven, church and women led peace initiatives, like the home-grown and church-led Action Plan for Peace of the church and its council, the South Sudan Council of Churches, a strategy to comprehensively address the root causes and long-term effects of conflict through Advocacy, Neutral Forums, Healing and Reconciliation. This funding should be long-term and flexible to enable communities to respond to changing dynamics and to sustain any progress.

The conflict and other compounding factors have led to a dire humanitarian situation, with an estimated 8.3 million people requiring humanitarian assistance in  2021. In addition, South Sudan ranks highly in terms of countries most vulnerable to the impact of COVID-19. Combined with flooding, droughts and locust caused devastation, people face one of the largest food crises in the world.

We urge the Government of South Sudan and other parties to ensure full, unrestricted, and unhindered humanitarian access to all regions of the country. We strongly condemn the attacks on church actors, humanitarian workers, peace workers and human rights activists. We urge and call for increased preventative, investigative and just efforts to end these devastating acts of violence.

As members of the ENSS, we reiterate our solidarity with those church leaders, peacebuilding and human rights actors who undertake invaluable peace work at a local level to mend and restore relationships, monitor potential violence, prevent and manage intercommunal conflicts while taking care of the trauma under most difficult circumstances. We express our solidarity with the millions of refugees and internally displaced people; there needs to be a lasting peace and a safe environment, so those who were forced to leave their homes can return. We urge the church and its council to keep unity and to play a positive role throughout.

We continue to stand with the people of South Sudan. We call upon all in South Sudan to respect the dignity of human life. We lift the nation of South Sudan to God and pray fervently that the people of South Sudan may live in harmony, unity, and peace.

Alongside us as a Diocese, signatories included Act Church of Sweden, Brot für die Welt, CAFOD & Trócaire in Partnership, Christian Aid UK, Christian Council of Norway, The Church of Scotland, Danish Church Aid, Council of Churches in the Netherlands, Diakonie katastrophenhilfe, Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland, Finn Church Aid, KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives, Misereor, Mission 21, Norwegian Church Aid, PAX, Pentecostal Mission Development Cooperation Organisation (PMU), Presbyterian Church USA, Tearfund, South Sudan Council of Churches, and the World Council of Churches.

View a copy here.

As Acting Bishop of Salisbury, Bishop Karen asks that we continue to pray for the church in Sudan, for our deanery links, giving thanks for our partnership in the gospel and praying for peace and an end to violence.

This week, Bishops from across the Anglican Communion began to hold online meetings as a run up to the Lambeth Conference in 2022. The aim of these Lambeth Conversations is to establish friendship and understanding between bishops of different countries and cultures.

Bishop Karen has joined one of the small groups and was pleased to meet those ministering in Canada, USA, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Sierra Leone and Wales and to hear about the challenges and opportunities there are for the church in each of those places, socially, politically, and spiritually.

*Lord Jim Wallace is Moderator of the Church of Scotland.