Bishop Justin requests prayer for implementation of newest South Sudan peace deal
Just after midnight on Monday 2 February, South Sudan’s warring factions signed another peace deal in the latest effort to end hostilities that have raged for more than a year.
Bishop Justin Badi of our link diocese of Maridi, South Sudan, has written to Bishop Harold thanking us for our prayers for South Sudan. ”The major things have been agreed on,” he said “but there are a few things which need to be finalized before the implementations. I request your continued prayers for practical implementation of the agreement.”
Keeping the agreement depends on both sides. The leaders of the regional bloc overseeing the talks, IGAD, will take severe action against anyone who breaks this latest agreement and report them to the African Union and U.N. Security Council. Both have threatened sanctions against those undermining peace in South Sudan, the world’s newest nation, rich in oil.
April, May and June have been set as a pre–transition period, and a transitional government of national unity will start functioning July 9, mediators said. Some sticking points still remain, they said, including the allocation of power.
The South Sudan government and the rebels agreed to conclude a comprehensive agreement to end the crisis in South Sudan before March 5.
Fighting broke out December 2013 between Kiir’s troops and those loyal to Machar. Since then, more than 1.5 million South Sudanese have fled their homes and tens of thousands have sheltered in U.N. bases.