Catholic Bishops Urge Leaders To Prioritize Service Delivery

This article was last updated on May 25, 2022

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The Catholic Bishops said they are conscious of the conflicting priorities which the leaders are forced to deal with.

The Bishops wrote in their “pastoral message of hope and encouragement” to the people of South Sudan and the government after a four-day meeting from 12 – 15 November in Juba.

According to clerics there are so many pressing needs when building a nation from scratch, and all of them are indeed priorities however, they asked the government to choose small number of priorities and begin with them.

“We advise our government to choose a small number of priorities and then ensure that they are actually implemented, rather than trying to do everything at once and running the risk of doing nothing effectively,” reads the message partly.

The church leaders also welcome the leaner government which came about as a result of the July 2013 reshuffle but took concerns of corruption and nepotism which is said to be widespread in the Country and urged the government to be transparent.

“We remain concerned about governance issues, including corruption and nepotism. Only an open and transparent government in which the people have a chance to participate can bring lasting peace and justice to our nation,” the Bishops said.

They advised the government to redirect the international community, NGOs and the UN to shift their aid towards long-term development and sustainability.

“Now is the time to recognise that South Sudan is no longer a nation at war. While there are still emergencies which need a humanitarian response, the main thrust of aid should shift towards long-term development and sustainability, including education. The funding should reflect that shift,” they said.

The leaders said there is much to celebrate in the new Republic of South Sudan and building a new nation is neither a quick nor an easy task.

“Most of our people are living in peace and democracy for the first time in decades. There is religious freedom, with Muslims, Christians and followers of African traditional religion able to practice their faith without obstacles. The ecumenical spirit which led the churches through the war is still strong,” concluded the message.