Advertisement

Catholic Bishop in South Sudan Urges “collective responsibility” in Forestation

Bishop Edward Hiiboro Kussala during a tree planting exercise at St. Mary Mother of God Parish of of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio (CDTY). Credit: CDTY

By ACI Africa Staff

Tombura-Yambio, 12 July, 2023 / 4:16 pm (ACI Africa).

Bishop Edward Hiiboro Kussala of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio (CDTY) in South Sudan has advocated for forestation, urging “collective responsibility”.

“Plant more trees and avoid deforestation,” Bishop Hiiboro who was addressing students during a tree planting exercise at St. Mary Mother of God Parish of his Episcopal See on Monday, July 10 said.

“Conservation of the environment is a collective responsibility of everyone,” he further said, and added, “Trees planted send a message about the importance of conserving the environment in the community.” 

The South Sudanese Catholic Bishop underscored the need for young people to engage in forestation, saying, “Let’s make it a habit of planting trees when intending to cut others.”

The tree planting initiative was part of activities marking the 12th Anniversary of South Sudan’s Independence, he said at the July 10 initiative, which the Youth Ministry of CDTY organized.

Advertisement

After decades of violent conflict, South Sudan gained independence from Sudan on 9 July 2011.

The hard-won independence celebration was, however, short-lived. Since December 2013 when political infighting between President Salva Kiir and his then-only Vice President Dr. Riek Machar erupted into violence in South Sudan’s capital, Juba, the people of God in the East-Central African nation have been subjected to a myriad of challenges.

The violent conflict between the two government factions spread to other parts of the country, especially to Bentiu and Bor, resulting in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people “in just the first month of conflict”, Mercy Corps, a global humanitarian aid entity operating in transitional contexts, reported in June 2019.

Some peace agreements have been signed over the years of civil war, the most significant having been the September 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).

The peace agreements have been repeatedly violated, with the world’s youngest nation remaining highly unstable amid reported outbreaks of violence now and again, some triggered by inter-community conflicts.

More in Africa

Pope Francis meets Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni

Pope Francis to Speak about Ethics of Artificial Intelligence during June G7 Summit

Read the article

Kerbino Kuel Deng contributed to the writing of this story

ACI Africa Staff

ACI Africa was founded in 2019. We provide free, up-to-the-minute news affecting the Catholic Church in Africa, giving particular emphasis to the words of the Holy Father and happenings of the Holy See, to any person with access to the internet. ACI Africa is proud to offer free access to its news items to Catholic dioceses, parishes, and websites, in order to increase awareness of the activities of the universal Church and to foster a sense of Catholic thought and culture in the life of every Catholic.

Trending

You may also like

With the incense burned from the newly blessed fire, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, incenses the "Stone of Anointing," located at the entrance of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher, where, according to tradition, the body of Jesus was anointed and prepared with aromatic oils for burial. March 30, 2024. / Credit: Marinella Bandini

"The mother of all holy vigils": Jerusalem Basilica is First Place to Announce Easter

In the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher, the church of the Lord’s resurrection, the Easter Vigil is held on Saturday...

A poster welcoming Pope Francis to South Sudan. Credit: Courtesy Photo

“Ecumenical flavor of unity”: Catholic Bishop in South Sudan ahead of Ecumenical Visit

The arrival of three global church leaders in South Sudan on Friday, February 3 will bring about an “ecumenical flavor...

South Sudanese “over-depend on humanitarian aid”, Bishop Bemoans, Calls for Self-Reliance

A Catholic Bishop in South Sudan is bemoaning the tendency of the citizens of the East-Central African to rely on...