Ugandan Bishop urges South Sudan religious leaders to 'unite for peace'

The Catholic Archbishop of Gulu Diocese in Northern Uganda is urging religious leaders of South Sudan to put up a unified voice to campaign persistently for peace.

Bishop John Baptist Odama was Chairman of the Interfaith Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative, which was involved in peace building efforts at the height of the rebellion with fighters of the Uganda Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel group.

In a message to religious leaders in South Sudan, Odama said, “the church is by nature a promotor of peace,” adding that religious leaders should work in unity and let their voices be heard by the country’s leaders.

To the country’s leaders, Bishop Odama said the parties to the peace agreement must ‘uphold and respect’ the provisions of the document they signed.

Bishop Odama, who also participated in the 2006-2008 talks in Juba between the then Southern Sudan government and the LRA rebel forces, urged an end to the deaths and suffering of the people of South Sudan.

Last week, Archbishop Odama was awarded a peace prize from Gulu University in Uganda in recognition of his efforts in realizing peace in northern Uganda and countries affected by the LRA rebellion.

He spoke to Agole Alex in this interview.