Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Juba (Agenzia Fides) - Peace talks between the two rival factions: the government and the rebels, are expected to resume today in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, in spite of the fighting involving Malakal, provincial capital of the oil-producing State, Upper Nile. The military situation is still very confusing, as the two sides accuse the other of violating the January 23 ceasefire reached on January 23.
In a statement His Exc. Mgr. Charles Daniel Balvo, Apostolic Nuncio, stressed that civil society needs to be involved in future peace negotiations. "If there is to be a permanent solution to the problems of South Sudanese, the civil society needs to be involved not just negotiations on the government level, but also the civil society", said the Nuncio. "I know some of the representatives went on their own to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia recently for the peace talks, but they should be actively involved always".
Mgr. Balvo noted that the Church is doing a lot to help the people in South Sudan but added that "it is very hard to promote and create a society with generations of people that all they have known is violence". (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 20/02/2014)
