Nearly 5000 people from the greater Bor area gathered south of the Jonglei state capital to pray for reconciliation in South Sudan.

4,629 people from the greater Bor dioceses attended the two day prayer rally under the theme “Forgiveness among yourselves and your neighbors.”

Attendees, who included top government officials, were encouraged to forgive people who sinned against them in the ongoing civil war.

Bishop of Bor Ruben Akur said he hopes the rally achieves peace between Jonglei’s different communities and allows displaced people in the Bor UNMISS base to return home.

“The purpose of the prayer is to allow peace in the country,” he said.  “This peace cannot come along unless we pray for forgiveness, because we have killed ourselves, looted properties and destroyed our generations.”

Rev. William Tut, the head of the displaced people in the Bor UNMISS base, welcomed the rally.

He said the only way to bring peace is through people of different tribes meeting for reconciliation.

“We must focus on the how to sit face to face for forgiveness," William said.

File Photo: Worshippers at a national prayer conference in Juby in May 2014.