The Network of Evangelical Churches in Eastern Equatoria State has slammed the recurrent killing of civilians and escalating insecurity in the state.
On Saturday morning, Abraham Gabriel, the manager of New Nation Hotel succumbed to gunshot wounds at Torit State Hospital after he was shot by unidentified gunmen on Thursday night. Relatedly, a 70-year-old Presbyterian Church pastor only identified as Reverend Godfrey was gunned down at his home in Torit town last Tuesday.
The chairperson of the network, Bishop Joshua Lokurudek of Grace Gospel Church, urged the people of the state to be God-fearing and peacemakers.
“We, as church leaders, condemn these unfortunate and continuous unnecessary killings and shedding the blood of innocent South Sudanese people. We urge the people of Eastern Equatoria to love each other and be God-fearing citizens and peacemakers,” he said. “We also condemned the killings of our beloved manager of the New Nation Hotel and that of the elder of the Presbyterian Church within Torit town and what happened in Mugali, Kapoeta, and Iktotos.”
Bishop Lokurudek urged the state government to intervene and check the increasing insecurity so that people can freely go to their gardens.
“God blessed us with a nation but the way we are handling it cannot please God. We have rebelled against God but there is still room for us to come nearer to God and repent our sins,” he said. “We use the bible for swearing in but we are not putting the word of God into practice. Our actions are not in line with the Bible.”
Luka Enyasio, the members’ coordinator of the pastor’s network, said the population is now living in fear following the daily killings in Torit town.
“It is not a good thing when people are looking for peace and innocent people are being killed in their houses. We do not know what is happening and I think the cause of all these things is just evil,” he lamented. “These days, even pastors are being killed. It is my prayer that God will give strength to the government and the church to continue having the heart to follow up on the issues that are happening here.”
Governor Louis Lobong on Friday returned from the border town of Nimule to the state capital Torit to contain the escalating insecurity in the state capital.