By Bida Elly David
The Speaker of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly called for pardon as she admitted the government’s failure in actualizing stability and peace as expected by the Church.
She made this statement yesterday during the installation and the consecration of the new Catholic Bishop of Torit Diocese.
Speaking to the congregation on Sunday, Jemma Nunu Kumba, the Speaker of the TNLA who spoke on behalf of the President said that the government still needs a lot to ensure addressing all the pending conflicts across the country.
“I know that we in the government have not lived to the expectation of the Church to bring stability and peace. On this note, I also ask the Church to forgive us and continue to support us in our mission to bring peace and stability to our country,” she said.
Nunu reiterated that the government consists of groups who are human beings capable of committing mistakes thus should be corrected.
She warned citizens against high dependency on internal intervention of forces to avail peace to the country urging citizens to bring peace by themselves.
“Let us work hard and make sure that we address our conflicts and solve our problems and leave the United Nations aside. Peace will not come from the United Nations; thus, it will come from within and the efforts of the Church,” she said.
Speaker Nunu called on the Church to back them up through the peace process without frustration or fear.
“Also as we recognize the role of the Church, I am urging our Church leaders to continue holding the hands of the government. Don’t be frustrated. I know frustrations are always there but when your child goes wrong, you won’t abandon him or her. Do not abandon us in the government,” she said.
However, Nunu commended Catholic Saints who lost their lives during SPLM/Liberation struggle saying that the Church also had martyrs who lost lives in the movement.
She added that it is only through the Church that South Sudan as a country will have full stability and everlasting peace.
Nunu urged the Catholic Church to speak to young people through the community elders to ensure that arms and inter-communal violence is mitigated for the common good of the citizens.
Nunu called on the community leadership to talk to the youth regarding the negative impacts of violence to the society and inform them to abstain from such acts.
She commended the Catholic Church for having contributed in the Liberation struggle through the formation of the Sudan Council of Churches that demonstrated real will to negotiate over disputes.