Speaking on Martyrs’ Day on Wednesday, Bishop Hiiboro said the situation in Tombura is “not a political inconvenience, but a humanitarian tragedy and a moral failure

By Emmanuel Mandella

Rt. Rev. Dr. Barani Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala, the bishop of Tombura-Yambio Diocese and Chairperson of the Interfaith Council of Peace Initiative in Western Equatoria, has called on the national government, civil society, and the global community to intervene and restore peace in Tombura County, and end the longstanding war that has devastated the region for years.

Speaking on Martyrs’ Day on Wednesday, Bishop Hiiboro said the situation in Tombura is “not a political inconvenience, but a humanitarian tragedy and a moral failure.” In his solemn message, titled, “A National Appeal for Peace in Tombura County”, the bishop  combined scripture, conscience, and a practical roadmap for restoring peace and justice.

Tombura County, once a haven of peace and cultural harmony in Western Equatoria State, has suffered four years of continuous violence, marked by armed clashes, mass displacement, destruction of property, and the collapse of basic services. According to UN humanitarian agency like the United Nation’s OCHA and the South Sudan Council of Churches, thousands of residents have been displaced, with many living in makeshift shelters without access to clean water or proper healthcare.

“Our people live under plastic sheeting, drink unsafe water, walk in fear, and bury their loved ones in silence,” wrote Bishop Hiiboro.

“Let Tombura be our turning point, a sacred place where the nation chooses healing over hatred, truth over propaganda, and hope over despair.”

Quoting Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Bishop challenged the Government of South Sudan to go beyond temporary measures and tackle the root causes of the conflict.

Among his key demands to the government is that Tombura should be declared a national peace emergency zone.

Deploy protection forces to stop the bloodshed, disarm illegal groups and expose sponsors of violence. The cleric also advised that the government should open inclusive peace dialogues with youth, women, chiefs, faith leaders, and civil society, hold accountable those spreading hate speech and tribal incitement, and rebuild public services such as schools, health centers, and clean water systems.

Furthermore, he urged the government to mark July 30th as the day it chose peace for Tombura, making Martyrs’ Day a moment of action, not just remembrance.

Bishop Hiiboro appealed to every South Sudanese citizen to embrace peace. He describe the crisis in Tombura as a “national wound” rather than an isolated conflict.

“We are all brothers and sisters and there is no ‘them’ only ‘us.” Pope Francis, quoted in the letter.

However, Bishop Hiiboro called on elders to rise with wisdom, women to be moral voices of healing, youth to resist being used as weapons and instead become peace builders, faith leaders to lead in truth and reconciliation, and the international community to remain engaged and not turn a blind eye.

The Bishop warned that failure to act will deepen tribal divisions, lead to the disappearance of entire communities, and rob future generations of hope.

“We will be judged by history, by God, and by our children not for what we said, but for what we refused to do.”

In an uplifting turn, Bishop Hiiboro outlined the hopeful outcomes if peace prevails, saying it would enable children to return to school, families to rebuild their homes, communities to farm together, trust to be restored between citizens and government and a rebirth of South Sudan grounded in justice, reconciliation, and unity.

“Peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God. Peace does not mean just to lay down arms, but to walk side by side in love. I believe Tombura will rise again. I believe South Sudan can become a nation of peace. I will not be silent. I will not give up,” he declared.