07, March 2017 (Nyamilepedia) — A senior Bishop and elder that was appointed by President Salva Kiir to co-chair South Sudan’s National Dialogue committee has resigned from his position just weeks after his appointment.
Rt. Bishop Paride Taban who is a leading Catholic Bishop and Elder asked President Kiir to “Excuse” him from his calls for National Dialogue saying he had other urgent commitments.
In a four page letter written to President Kiir early this month and it’s content just made public said he has never seen such suffering of South Sudanese in his entire 81 year old life, not even under the Arab rule.
“I have never seen in the history of my life, as now I am 81 of age, such great suffering of South Sudanese in the hands of South Sudanese themselves like this, which started from 15th December (Genocide against Nuer in Juba) and again from 7th July to the present moment.” said the respected Bishop in his letter to the President
The surprising move by the Bishop and elder has been termed by many South Sudanese as a diplomatic withdrawal from President Salva Kiir’s calls for prayers and Dialogue.
“Thank you (President kiir) …. However I hope His Excellency will understand that I am now 81 years old. I have already retired, from formal and official involvement since 2004″ Said the resignation letter by the Bishop
Paride Taban mediated another peace process in Greater Pibor as recent as 2015 after 2 years of deadly battles with the government, the Murle tribe of Pibor signed a peace agreement with President Slava Kiir, but now there are complains that the deal was never honoured or even implemented by the president.
Bishop Paride Taban says all he can do now is just try to support Kiir’s new calls for National Dialogue spiritually but cannot contribute to it physically.
Bishop Taban said he and the rest of South Sudanese citizens hope this time that President Kiir’s calls for a National Dialogue was “true and sincere”.
Last week another senior Catholic bishop refused to respond to President Salva Kiir’s calls for National Prayers and forgiveness describing the calls by the President as nothing but a political mockery.
Bishop Reverend Santo Laku Pio blasted President Kiir and called on the President to live by example and lead the way in his call for prayers and forgiveness by acting first and releasing all political prisoners and many South Sudanese being detained unlawfully by security forces loyal to the President.
“For the last four years since 2013, people of South Sudan have undergone untold suffering because of the conflict. Now that President Kiir is calling for forgiveness from the people, let him demonstrate his sincerity, first by forgiving all political prisoners currently imprisoned or being held at various security detention facilities across the Republic of South Sudan”, said the Bishop.” The Bishop said challenging President Salva Kiir to live up to his calls for forgiveness
