South Sudan's Archbishop Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla of Juba Archdiocese. Photo via Vatican News

The three prelates who represented the Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SCBC) at the talks with the President include Archbishop Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla of Juba Archdiocese, Bishop Stephen Nyodho Ador Majwok of Malakal Diocese, as well as the Bishop Emeritus of Torit Diocese, Paride Taban.

Bishops pledge support for the peace agreement

The Bishops pledged their support for the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) upon which the Soputh Sudanese unity government is anchored.

“Since the signing of revitalised peace agreement, we as Bishops of South Sudan had not paid a visit to the President, and we thought it better to do so now and assure him of our support towards the process of peace implementation,” Archbishop Ameyu told AMECEA Online in an interview, Thursday, 29 July.

Religious leaders have a stake in the peace process

Archbishop Ameyu said that religious leaders should also be involved in the national reconciliation, justice and peace process currently being implemented in South Sudan.

“We asked the President to include some religious leaders in the peace process since none of us is involved and it is necessary that we too take part.”

“Nothing is as good as having peace and guns silenced. When there is peace, people have the opportunity to live normal lives and stay happily,” Archbishop Ameyu said.

Church appreciates warm relations with the government

The South Sudanese Bishops also expressed the need of striving to have peace in the country regardless of the challenges and no matter how long it takes.

“It will be good for the government to continue implementing peace. Even if it is at the slow tortoise pace, it will have some positive impact,” said Archbishop Ameyu.

Appreciating Catholic Church-state relations, Archbishop Ameyu said, “The government has been helpful to us, we are able to travel securely wherever we are to go, and any time when we have a new Bishop in the country they (government) have been very supportive,” he said. - Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA – Nairobi, Kenya / Vatican News

Kenya’s Big Four agenda received a boost after the UK announced on Tuesday a 20 billion Kenya shillings ($184 million) investment for the projects.

The Big Four agenda was conceived by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta to boost food security, affordable housing, manufacturing and affordable health care.

Kenyatta, who is on a three-day visit to the UK, where he will co-chair the Global Education Summit with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, oversaw the signing of the deal.

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced the funds by the new UK government and private investment into the Big 4 Projects, noting an additional 5.2 billion Kenya shillings ($479,000) of UK aid will be matched by 3.5 billion Kenya shillings ($322,000) of private investment to finance 10,000 green affordable homes in Kenya.

“These new homes will be energy and water-efficient properties for low and middle-income families, and will contribute to Kenya’s goal of building 500,000 new affordable homes by 2022,” he said.

Johnson made the invitation to his counterpart during a business forum hosted Raab and the Lord Mayor of London William Russell at Mansion House, the Lord Mayor's official residence.

Kenyatta announced Kenya’s ambition to deepen cooperation with the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to be formalized between the National Treasury and the Private Sector Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG).

“The cooperation with Foreign Commonwealth Development Office is for possible funding, through Private Sector Infrastructure Development Group, of 1.3 million US Dollars to support early and transaction-stage PPP project development activities in Kenya," he said.

Kenyatta was joined at the ceremony by Treasury Secretary Ukur Yattani, Foreign Affairs Secretary Raychelle Omamo and Mohammed Aden from the East African Community and Regional Development.

The centerpiece of the Kenyan leader’s visit will be co-chairing the Global Education Summit, which aims to raise $5 billion to educate children across the developing world in the next five years. Kenyatta will also meet senior members of the UK royal family. Anadolu Agency