South Sudan: Churches warn of great danger as rebels take over capital

Church leaders in Juba, South Sudan, issued a grave warning today as fighting has intensified and the state capital has fallen in to rebel hands.

"The country is heading for a really dangerous direction, toward a kind of ethnic conflict although it should be pointed out that the ethnic issue is being exploited for the purpose of power", local church sources from South Sudan told Fides.

For days the country has been devastated by clashes between military units loyal to President Salva Kiir and those rebels who support former Vice President Riek Machar.

The authorities in Juba have announced that the city of Bor, the capital of Jonglei State is falling into the hands of an army unit that defected in favour of Machar.

"The result of the ethnic conflict was seen already during clashes between the 15 and 16 of December in the capital Juba when several people were killed because of their ethnicity".

"The risk is that the conflict could extend to other areas of South Sudan and that is why the main Christian denominations in the country, the Catholic, Anglican and Presbyterian Church, have appealed for calm and reconciliation, inviting all to avoid exacerbating the conflict", the source concluded.

Source: Fides