By Alan Clement
The Catholic Bishop of Tambura and Yambio counties, Rt. Rev. Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala, has called on the National government to intervene in Tambura County as conflict surge.
The bishop called on the Government of South Sudan and citizens across the country to act urgently and decisively to end years of violence and human suffering.
Rt. Rev. Kussala described Tambura’s situation as a “humanitarian tragedy and moral failure” citing four years of continuous bloodshed, displacement, and fear that have left communities shattered and families living in destitution, in a strongly worded message released on August 1st, 2025 by the bishop’s desk.
“Our people live under plastic sheeting, drink unsafe water, walk in fear, and bury their loved ones in silence,” the bishop wrote. “Let Tambura be our turning point; a sacred place where the nation chooses healing over hatred, truth over propaganda, and hope over despair.”
The bishop urged the national government to take swift actions to end the suffering in Tambura County. According to the bishop’s message, such actions include, declaring Tambura a zone of urgent national peace intervention, deploying additional protection forces, disarming all illegal armed groups, and punishing those inciting tribal hatred and spreading misinformation.
“We write as shepherds, as fellow citizens, and as children of one God,” the bishop stated, invoking the spirit of unity and national conscience. “Let Martyrs’ Day, Wednesday, July 30th, be your moment of honor. Let it be remembered that on this day, you chose peace for Tambura,” he added.
In the broader South Sudanese context, Bishop Kussala emphasized that Tambura’s suffering is a reflection of a national pain and called for elders, women, youth, and religious communities to rise collectively as agents of peace, and appealed to the international community not to look away.
“If the violence continues,” he warned, “entire communities will disappear, tribal hatred will metastasize, and generations of youth will be lost to revenge and violence. We will be judged not for what we said, but for what we refused to do.”
The bishop offered a vision of hope if peace is chosen; a return to normalcy in Tambura, children back in schools, and reconciliation across divided communities.
“As Bishop of Tambura-Yambio, I pledge to walk with victims, offer the Church as a platform for reconciliation, and pray without ceasing for peace,” he declared. He pledged to walk with victims, offer the Church as a platform for reconciliation, and pray without ceasing for peace,”
His message comes as violence in parts of the region continues to threaten stability, drawing renewed attention to the need for cohesive national efforts toward reconciliation and peacebuilding.