Apostolic Nuncio in South Sudan Calls for Peace amid Massive Displacement, Rising Tensions in Jonglei State

Malakal, 27 January, 2026 / 8:18 PM

The representative of the Holy Father in South Sudan has urged government security agencies and armed opposition groups in the country’s Jonglei State to allow space for dialogue to address renewed fighting, which, according to humanitarian agencies, has displaced more than 230,000 civilians in January 2026 alone.

Archbishop Séamus Patrick Horgan made the appeal in his homily on January 24 while presiding over Holy Mass at St. Paul Bor Parish of the Catholic Diocese of Malakal, highlighting Pope Leo XIV’s call on the World Day of Peace to embrace “an unarmed and disarming peace.”

“I appeal to all who exercise influence at every level in the State to work for pacification and de-escalation. Silence the weapons of war. Give priority to dialogue between the local parties. Any problems of mistrust in Jonglei can be resolved by talking to each other,” he said.

The first-ever resident Apostolic Nuncio in South Sudan underscored the need for a disarmament that goes beyond the physical mopping up of arms, saying, “We need to disarm our hearts and minds too. We need to put away the slogans and the war propaganda, mutual suspicion, recrimination, and rivalry.”

Archbishop Séamus who has served as Nuncio in the east-central African nation since his appointment in May 2024 highlighted the devastating consequences of the ongoing violence. Warning that “already some 240,000 people have been displaced this year; lives have been lost and people have been injured.”

“New wounds are being opened between our communities. Instead, what we need is to heal the wounds that exist already, not add fresh wounds,” he said, and added, “Picking up the gun to injure or kill our brothers and sisters in this State is not the solution.”

The Irish-born Vatican diplomat, who, at his Episcopal Consecration, was assigned the Titular See of Árd Sratha, praised local peace initiatives, including a recent meeting of elders that emphasized dialogue and rejected framing the conflict as an ethnic dispute.

“I welcome the recent meeting of elders, for example, that called for peace between the communities and reaffirmed that the conflict is not an ethnic dispute and should not be represented as such, pitting one tribe against another,” he said.

The Apostolic Nuncio expressed the Holy Father’s spiritual solidarity with the people of God in the Malakal Episcopal See during “this moment of grave tension” and “indeed of conflict” in their community.”

He said, “I bring from him a word of closeness. The Pope (Pope Leo XIV) is close to this local church, to this Parish and to this Diocese. He is close to the people of Bor and Jonglei.”

A Tuesday, January 27 report by the Relief Web, a service of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), states the humanitarian situation in the world’s youngest nation is rapidly deteriorating in Jonglei State and beyond “at a level not seen since 2017”, amid escalating conflict, access denial, and an increase of human rights abuses, including forced recruitment of children by armed forces.

“A no-fly zone has been declared in this state, and the military has issued evacuation orders ahead of an operation against opposition forces,” the report reads in part.

On January 25, the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) issued a precautionary statement ahead of what they described as “imminent commencement of ‘Operation Enduring Peace’” directing civilians in the counties of Nyirol, Akobo and Uror “to evacuate for safety to government-controlled areas as soon as possible.”

“Armed civilians not interested in fighting with government forces must immediately hand over their rifles at the nearest SSPDF without further unnecessary delays,” reads the statement in which non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating in the affected counties, including the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), were given 48 hours to leave.