South Sudan church leaders call for a nationwide halt to fighting and an end to arming youth
Church leaders of the South Sudan Council of Churches said "silence is no longer an option" as violence displaces communities in several states. They urged an immediate cessation of hostilities, protection of civilians, open humanitarian access and an end to arming young people.
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The South Sudan Council of Churches (SSCC) on Tuesday, Oct. 6, called for an immediate cessation of hostilities across the country. Its chair, Archbishop Justin Badi Arama, Primate of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan, presented the statement at a press conference in Juba. "The suffering of our people has reached a point where silence is no longer an option," it says. Eye Radio reported that 12 bishops and senior clergy signed it.
The leaders listed the following areas of concern:
- renewed fighting and armed youth mobilization in Nasir and Ulang counties in Upper Nile State
- intercommunal violence in several Jonglei counties and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area
- insecurity around Bentiu and the Ruweng Administrative Area in Unity State
- revenge-related violence in parts of Warrap State and the Abyei Administrative Area
- attacks on roads linking Juba with Mundri, Torit and other towns
The churches said these were causing deaths and displacement and disrupting aid. They did not give figures.
The council asked the government, armed groups, traditional authorities and communities to:
- protect civilians
- end revenge attacks
- secure roads and river routes
- allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access
- stop mobilizing and arming young people
- strengthen local peace and reconciliation efforts
"We therefore call upon all conflicting parties and communities to choose restraint over retaliation, dialogue over confrontation, and reconciliation over revenge," the statement says.
Access Radio in Yei published the list of signatories. Besides Badi, they include Cardinal Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla, Archbishop of Juba, and leaders of Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Africa Inland, Sudan Interior, Reformed and Coptic Orthodox churches. The appeal comes ahead of national elections scheduled for December.
Sources
Eye Radio: 'Silence is no longer an option' – Church leaders demand end to escalating violence (Oct 6, 2026)
https://eyeradio.org/silence-is-no-longer-an-option-church-leaders-demand-end-to-escalating-violence/Radio Tamazuj: South Sudan church leaders call for immediate end to violence (Oct 6, 2026)
https://www.radiotamazuj.org/en/news/article/south-sudan-church-leaders-call-for-immediate-end-to-violenceAccess Radio: Bishops Urge End to Armed Youth Mobilisation (Oct 7, 2026)
https://radioyei.org/news/national/bishops-urge-end-to-armed-youth-mobilisation/Golden Times South Sudan: South Sudan churches call for end to fighting and arming of youth (Oct 6, 2026)
https://goldentimessouthsudan.com/index.php/2026/10/06/south-sudan-churches-call-for-end-to-fighting-and-arming-of-youth/ACI Africa: 'Silence is no longer an option': South Sudan Church Leaders Call for Halt to Hostilities, Civilian Protection (Oct 7, 2026)
https://www.aciafrica.org/index.php/news/24531/silence-is-no-longer-an-option-south-sudan-church-leaders-call-for-halt-to-hostilities-civilian-protection
Corrections and updates
- Update, October 7, 2026: Brief prepared from Eye Radio (Oct. 6), Radio Tamazuj (Oct. 6), Access Radio (Oct. 7), Golden Times South Sudan (Oct. 6; search listing, not opened), and ACI Africa (page datePublished Oct. 7, 2026; the sheet had not opened it). One-off; no threadId. Tags are global and church-life. Tradition is omitted: signatories include Catholic and Coptic leaders. There is no africa region. nigeria, algeria, and sudan would name another country, so the region is global. No persecution tag. No prior Wayback snapshot was found for any of the five. No photo.