Peace ‘within reach’ after South Sudan pilgrimage, says Moderator

The President and the Vice Presidents of South Sudan have it within their reach to extend justice and compassion to all the people of the world’s youngest nation, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland has said.

The Rt Rev Dr Iain Greenshields made the remarks at an official ceremony held at the “Palais de la Nation” in Juba alongside Pope Francis and the Archbishop of Canterbury, at the start of the Ecumenical Pilgrimage for Peace in February.

Addressing President Salva Kiir Mayardit and his Vice Presidents, the Moderator told them that the world ‘needs churches and leaders who are generous of heart, liberal of love, and profligate with God’s grace’.

Dr Greenshields said the world needs leaders who care about values, the conditions in which people live and act out their faith and work amongst the most vulnerable and marginalised. “These things make for peace,” he added. Earlier, hundreds of thousands of people had lined the streets, cheering, waving and singing as the three spiritual leaders made their way from Juba airport to the Palais de la Nation.

The Moderator was joined by the Principal Clerk to the General Assembly, the Rev Fiona Smith, the Rev Ian Alexander, who leads on international relations for the Church of Scotland, and the Rev Shavon Starling- Louis.

Dr Greenshields said afterwards that it had been ‘the most extraordinary few days’, and that it was very humbling and a privilege to come alongside and stand in solidarity with ordinary people who are suffering profoundly from continued armed conflict, violence, corruption, floods and famine.

He added that he prayed that the goodwill built up during the historic pilgrimage would mark a “turning point” in the troubled country’s short history, and that both President Salva Kiir Mayardit and his First Vice-president, Riek Machar, had indicated separately that they were willing to promote forgiveness and reconciliation.

The Republic of South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 but quickly descended into internal conflict. Around 400,000 people are said to have lost their lives over the years, 9.4 million people need humanitarian aid and an estimated two million people have been displaced in the country. The Church of Scotland has strong links with the Presbyterian Church in South Sudan and has been involved in peacemaking efforts for many years.