By Sr. Henriette Anne FSSA
As South Sudan honors 3oth July 2025, the martyr’s day, bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala, the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio (CDTY) have called upon the government of South Sudan from the highest office to the most local chief to declare Tombura a zone of urgent national peace and intervention, deploy protection forces to stop all violence and restore peace.
In his July 30th message, bishop Eduardo lamented that people are living under the plastic sheets, drinking unsafe water, walking in fear, and burying their loved ones in silence. He described the situation as not a political inconvenience but a humanitarian tragedy and a moral failure, and still appealed to the government to disarm and dismantle any legally persons holding fire arms, and hidden sponsors, to open space for inclusive dialogue involving chiefs, youth, women, churches, and civil society, and to ensure humanitarian access and rebuild social services.
He stressed that he will never keep silent, he will never give up, he believe Tombura will rise again, and he believe South Sudan can become a nation of peace.
Bishop Eduardo who is also the Chairperson of Interfaith Council of peace Initiative, in Western Equatoria State, asked the government to let “Tombura be turning point a sacred place where the nation chooses healing over hatred, as fellow citizens and as children of God”.
The local ordinary of CDTY noted that when one limb is suffering, the whole body aches, stressing that the tragedy in Tombura is a wound for all South Sudanese, and asked the elders to rise with wisdom and counsel to save the situation, for mothers and women to be voices of healing and moral resistance, to the youth to refuse to be weapon of destruction, to the faithful communities to stand united in truth and reconciliation and to the international communities to remember that peace need partners, lives need saving.
In his letter shared with Rurugene Online Newspapers, the prelate concern with the future, cautioned that if the violence continued, the entire community will disappear, tribal hatred will spread across regions, and generations of youth will be lost to bitterness, revenge, or violence.
Bishop Eduardo emphasized that they will be judged by history, by God, and by their children not for what they said, but for what we refuse to do. He called for togetherness, and truthfulness which lead to healing in Tombura, children going back to school, families back to their homes, farmers to their fields, trust will grow among tribes, between citizens and their government and the soul of Soth Sudan will be reborn not in blood but in Justice.
Addressing the pastoral agents in his letter, bishop Eduardo urged them to speak until truth will be heard, to walk with victims and wounded families, to offer the Church as a platform for reconciliation and dialogue and to pray without ceasing for peace, and work hand-in-hand will all who pursue it.
In conclusion, he said, “Let Tombura become a sign that South Sudan chooses life. “The time is now. Choose peace. Build peace. Live peace”.
