[Anglican Communon News Service] The bishop of Lesotho, the Rt. Rev. Joseph Aba Nicanor, has sent a letter to the presidents of Uganda and South Sudan following border conflicts on July 28, in which eight people died.
As reported in Anglican News, the incident took place in an area of shared borders in the Nyaingamuda area, with violence between the Uganda People’s Defense Force and South Sudan People’s Defense Force claiming at least eight lives.
The church has been providing support, including searching for families, identifying lost or separated children, and providing humanitarian assistance and spiritual comfort to those affected.
Nicanor’s letter, entitled “Love Your Neighbor — A United Call for Peace, Justice and Lasting Goodwill Along Our Shared Border,” appeals for “decisive and statesmanlike leadership” on the part of Ugandan President H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and South Sudan President H. E. Salva Kiir Mayardit.
As a minister who has provided pastoral care of borderland communities, Nicanor’s letter notes the historic role of Uganda as “a brother and ally” to South Sudan, between the years of liberation struggle in 1955 to the birth of independence and continuing as a haven for refugees.
It presses the point that in recent years, the “unresolved and undelimited border from Magwi of Eastern to Kaya of the central Equatoria has shifted from a techincal matter into a humanitarian and security crisis” that is impacting local people.
The letter makes recommendations for immediate action that includes a joint commitment to nonviolence, the establishment of a joint boundary commission, the protection of civilians, diplomatic engagement and people-to-people peace initiatives.
The letter concludes, “Your Excellencies, you have the opportunity to leave a legacy of wisdom and peace — to show Africa and the world that disputes can be resolved through dialogue, mutual respect and a shared vision for the future.
“The decision before you is not simply about where a line is drawn on a map; it is about whether the history between Uganda and South Sudan will be defined by brotherhood or bitterness, by collaboration or confrontation.
“In the name of peace, in the spirit of African unity, and in the fear of Almighty God, we urge you to act now — with courage, humility and foresight.
“May this moment be remembered not as the beginning of a rift, but as the point where both nations chose the higher path of reconciliation for the sake of their people and posterity.”
The letter follows an Aug. 1 statement by the Rt. Rev. James Lule, bishop of the Diocese of Kajo Keji, which appealed for “… for humanitarian intervention, for peaceful resolution of conflicts by the warring forces, for protection of the civil population from any sort of violence, and for the warring parties to abide by humanitarian and international laws to spare the civil population.”
The Rt. Rev. Anthony Poggo, secretary general of the Anglican Communoin and the former bishops of Kajo-Keji, said, “I am deeply concerned about this situation and join with the voices of local clergy and bishops in calling for a peaceful and expeditious resolution of the problem. As a former bishop of the Diocese of Kajo-Keji, which included the Diocese of Liwolo, my heart goes out to those affected by this incident from both countries.”