YUMBE, OCTOBER 9, 2018 (CISA) – The President of Sudan and South Sudan Catholic Bishops Conference (SCBC) Rt. Rev. Edwardo Hiiboro Kussala, led a delegation of Bishops to Bidibidi Refugee Settlement where majority of the Sudanese refugees live.
The September 21 – 26 visit to Yumbe, Uganda was inspired by the Bishops’ recent Ad Limina visit to the Vatican, where Pope Francis encouraged them to be close to refugees.
“I felt the need to share with these people the fact that a refugee camp is not the end of the road and once you find yourself there, the experience should help you to become a better person who in future would help to avoid situations that lead to such circumstances,” said Bishop Hiiboro in an interview with AMECEA Online News.
“We celebrated Mass with the refugees and listened to their tales of violence, challenges and needs and this has saddened us but we assured them that the church will support them in every possible way,” the Bishop added.
In the same visit, Bishop Hiiboro urged political leaders and stakeholders in South Sudan to respect and abide by the provisions of the recent peace deal that was signed by President Salva Kiir, and rebel leader, Riek Machar.
“As Church, we urge all leaders and all those concerned, to respect and abide by the provisions of the agreement and, above all, foster political will so as to enable the implementation of the final peace agreement. We strongly believe that without such political and national will, peace will never come to the people of South Sudan,” Bishop Hiiboro said.
This is the second visit by the delegation of Bishops Conference in a span of two months. Bishop Hiiboro and his team went to all the five zones of the Bidibidi settlement, which hosts approximately 274,000 refugees.
