Bishop Alex Lodiong of the Catholic Diocese of Yei has urged government and opposition forces to embrace dialogue instead of violence, following fighting early on Saturday morning in Lasu Parish on the outskirts of Yei Town in Central Equatoria State, which caused panic and displaced locals.
The bishop, who was on an annual pastoral visit in Lasu, said the weekend commenced with joyful celebrations as more than 200 children received their First Holy Communion and another 200 parishioners were confirmed during the Feast of the Assumption.
“Assumption Parish is alive, the church was full, and 60 percent of the congregation were children and young people,” Bishop Lodiong noted.
However, the celebrations were cut short when heavy gunfire erupted at around 4:30 a.m. on Saturday, resulting in rebel fighters overrunning two detachments of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) in Lasu and Libugo.
According to the bishop, the frightened residents, including small children, fled into the bushes covered with dew, while others sought safety inside the church.
“Children of five years or less entered the bushes to hide. Even those who are armed find it difficult to be in the bush. How much more is that for a child?” the bishop asked.
Although no civilians were killed, Bishop Lodiong said some families were separated in the panic, with one woman losing track of her children as they ran in different directions.
He commended government soldiers for showing restraint by not targeting civilians, but stressed that any confrontation, justified or not, always brings pain to innocent people, especially women and children.
The bishop repeated his long-standing call for peace, rejecting the belief that armed struggle can solve South Sudan’s challenges.
“War is not good, and let us talk about our issues if they are issues,” he said. “If you think armed confrontation is the only way to solve the problem of this country, that is a lie. All our problems, whether you like it or not, will end at the table.”
The prelate urged both government and opposition forces to renounce violence and embrace dialogue, reminding them that South Sudan’s future lies not in guns but in the willingness of its people to reason together.
“The guns, when they talk, they destroy, but when we talk with our mouths and our hearts, we solve issues,” he counselled. “Let not the gun talk, let the mouth talk.”