South Sudan: Bishops Call for Peace and Dialogue Ahead of December Elections

What the report says

AllAfrica, carrying a Fides News Agency report from Juba, says South Sudan’s Catholic bishops have urged national leaders and citizens to pursue peace and dialogue as the country approaches elections scheduled for Dec. 22, 2026. The appeal followed the bishops’ annual assembly, held July 15-17, and addressed what they described as severe political, economic and security pressures facing the country.

According to the report, the bishops pointed to a steep fall in the value of the national currency, rising costs for goods and services, continued violence involving armed groups and security forces, and incursions by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces along South Sudan’s southern borders. They also warned that the election timetable falls close to Christmas and said the country faces a possible transitional and constitutional crisis whether or not the vote goes ahead.

The statement, released by Sr. Laurencila Akinyi of the Franciscan Sisters of St. Anne, also called for more support from international and humanitarian partners. Fides reported that the bishops highlighted food insecurity and recurrent flooding, which have damaged crops and disrupted livelihoods for many families.

The bishops linked the election period to the unfinished implementation of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement, urging decisions to be grounded in constitutional order, trust, dialogue and the public good. They also appealed to South Sudanese communities to reject violence, tribalism, hatred and misinformation, framing national stability as a shared responsibility ahead of a potentially sensitive political transition.