AFRICA/SOUTH SUDAN - “Peace now” women march through the streets of Juba

Juba (Agenzia Fides)- Christians took to the streets of Juba, the capital of South Sudan demanding an immediate end to civil war which has continued for 19 months .
The demonstrators, mainly women, carried placards with various messages “we hate war”, “yes to peace”, “No to tribes, we are one people”. The participants at the march, organised by the Sudan Council of Churches National Women Program, also demanded the end of violence in the state of Western Equatoria, where dozens of people were reported dead in the capital, Yambo, after clashes between members of the Azande and Dinka tribes. The Dinka have the support of the regular army whose commander gave orders to shoot anyone resisting orders given by the soldiers.
Civil war which started in December 2013 is a conflict between government forces faithful to President Salva Kiir and rebels grouped around former vice president Riek Machar.
The latter accepted the demilitarization of the federal capital Juba, one point of a peace agreement drafted by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, an organization which comprises Horn of Africa countries. The peace plan established an interim period during which the two rival armies will be separated and then later reunited in one body. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 3/8/2015)