An Appeal for Peace in South Sudan this 2020 Christmas Season
The current state of RSS
By Lucy Ayak Malek, Juba, South Sudan
Thursday, December 24, 2020 (PW) — Dear countrymen and women, as we look forward to this Christmas, where we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus, it’s my prayer that as a nation, we extend our gratitude to the Almighty God for taking us all through the highs and lows of this passing year. In a year that has had many challenges, from the huge and daunting task of negotiating lasting peace, to the burden of a struggling economy, to the tragedy of the COVID-19 pandemic, all of which have combined to claim the lives of our people in their multitudes, may those of us who are alive, remain thankful to God despite the numerous hardships. May we thank God for choosing to keep us safe and sound, for choosing to cover us with His grace, not because we are the most deserving of it, but perhaps for a greater purpose. All in all, we should raise our hearts to God in Thanks.
Matthew 2:2 “Behold, a child is born to be the King of the Jews, His star appears in the East”. On the appearance of the star that signified the birth of Christ, the birth of hope and renewal, “we rejoice for the Lamb of God has come to us, to cleanse our sins. With all the hardships that our young nation has encountered over the past seven years, South Sudan as a nation needs God’s guiding hand in this trying time. It’s my prayer that this festive season brings with it a tide of renewal, conviction, selfless sacrifice and desire to serve others, as Christ served us. May it bring comfort and solace to the bleeding hearts of our suffering people, and may it bestow upon our leaders a desire to bring our nation together rather than divide it.
This festive season comes at a time when there is an ongoing impasse over the negotiations for the implementation of the Revitalized peace agreement. The initial fanfare and hope that characterized the onset of the signing of the agreement has slowly but steadily died down at the unending breakdown and resumption of negotiations, with no tangible progress to write home about. Our people are once again losing hope and are now disillusioned about the leaders who are supposed to have the nation’s interest at the heart of the negotiations. I acknowledge the complexity of the whole process, the huge and numerous huddles that are littered along the way to lasting peace. But as one writer put it, “where there is a will, there is a way”. Iimplore our leaders on both sides of the divide (the SPLM-IG and SPLM-IO), to please put the country first.
A little sacrifice goes a long way in pushing those huddles out of the way, and the only way we can achieve that is by selfless compromise on both sides. May this festive season bring to you, our dear leaders, a burning desire to overcome all the challenges that have numerously reversed the gains towards lasting peace. May your hearts yearn to see smiles upon the weeping children of our motherland, may your hearts be burdened with the cries of mothers who weep for their starving children, may you be reminded of the humble appeal of His Holiness Pope Francis I when you visited him at the Vatican, and may the words of the Holy See echo ever louder and louder this Christmas. For the Son of God came of unburden us, He came to take our cross from our shoulders, to straighten our paths and to lead us to the right direction.
I very well understand that there are many complicated challenges, and yes, what is being asked of you is somewhat insurmountable. But Matthew 19:26 says that “with God all things are possible”. May the birth of our Lord renew your zeal to see the task at hand to its desired conclusion. What seems impossible to mere mortals is possible with God. May your tongues confess victory and conquest, for the bible says “the tongue has power to create life or destroy it (Proverbs 18:21). My appeal is that the birth of Christ reenergizes you and repurposes your efforts towards overcoming whatever huddles are holding the achievement of peace in our country.
Our country is in dare need of healing, of forgiveness, of renewal and of faith. Who better to bring that and at what better time, than the Christ Himself at a time of celebrating His birth. I besiege our leaders on both sides to use this Christmas season to saw seeds of peace rather than war, to communicate messages of reconciliation rather than hate, to extend a hand of cooperation rather than division, to embrace life rather than death. For the Lord Jesus came so we can have life, and have it in abundance.
I end with this simple quote, “See how great it is for brethren to sit together in harmony, with the love that Christ gave us.” God bless you all, and bless our country South Sudan. Merry Christmas.
The writer is an advocate for peace in South Sudan and can be reached via his email address: ayakmalek@gmail.com
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