The Cardinal of the Catholic Church in South Sudan, Stephen Ameyu, challenged the South Sudanese to be optimistic about holding a democratic election in 2024.
Speaking during a Christmas Mass at St Theresa’s Cathedral in Juba, the cardinal said the 12 months ahead of the election could promise fortunes for the country if the leaders get things right.
“What could prevent us (South Sudanese) from having a democratic election at the end of 2024?” he posed.
Ameyu said Pope Francis would not have travelled to South Sudan if church leaders had said that they could not get ready for his journey due to the short notice. And he used this as an allusion that the election could still be a success in those few months.
“But some of us courageously said let the Holy Father come, and together we managed to prepare for what we called a very successful visit, and the Holy Father was very happy about his visit to South Sudan,” he said.
He added, “My dear brothers and sisters, it is possible for us to have a fair democratic election at the end of 2024.”
The cleric further stressed the importance of the role of the Church as people prepare for the general election of the next year.
Ameyu said the South Sudanese church is in favour of the relaunched peace deal and is pushing for the resolution of the agreement’s unresolved difficulties. By , City Review
