Catholic Missionary Nun in South Sudan Calls Politicians to “positive actions for peace”

“If the political leaders of South Sudan love their people as the Pope told them to be fathers of their nation, then they have to be so effective in serving the citizens,” Sr. Balatti said. 

The Italian-born Catholic Nun who coordinates the department of Integral Human Development (Caritas) in South Sudan’s Malakal Diocese urged South Sudanese political leaders to show their love for the people through service delivery, saying, “If they can do that they will be loved by the citizens because of the services they are offering.”

“When there are positive relationships of trust and fraternity between the citizens and the government, everything will be easier,” the CMS member who started her missionary service in Sudan in 1994 told ACI Africa. 

She added in reference to the February 3-5 ecumenical trip, “The people of South Sudan saw the visit as a sign of hope for improvement in the current situation.”

“The situation in certain areas of the country and for several people is very tough,” Sr. Balatti said, adding, “People need to be encouraged on a path of hope that there is still the possibility of a positive change; we shouldn't despair.” 

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In the February 17 interview, Sr. Balatti also reflected on insecurity in Upper Nile State, saying people in refugee camps are still living in fear.

“Many people are afraid to go back to their homes because there is still high tension in Upper Nile State,” Sr. Balatti said, and added, “Some of the issues are not solved and there is still insecurity; people don’t trust going back to their villages with most of them still in the camps.”

“We hope for an improvement of the situation generally so that we can also commit ourselves in development particularly during the next agricultural season,” she said.

The Catholic Nun said Caritas Malakal has continued its work of “offering assistance to the people who are facing different humanitarian catastrophes like flooding and the displacement due to violence and fighting.” 

She called on the South Sudanese government to “create a conducive environment for internally displaced persons to return home.”