(ZENIT News – OMPress / South Sudan, 03.11.2026).- Following the renewed violence that has shaken the diocese of Bentiu in South Sudan, the Bishop appealed for peace and unity, reminding the People of God and all of society that conflict «only brings destruction, fear, and deeper suffering.» After the massacre of civilians in Ayod County, Jonglei State, and Abiemnhom County in the Ruweng Administrative Area, within the diocese’s jurisdiction, Bishop Christian Carlassare, an Italian Comboni missionary, explained that «we do not need to live through any more conflicts.»
The missionary, who has been in Bentiu since July 2024, when the diocese was established, acknowledged the persistent violence in the area and lamented that the communities, which have already suffered so much, continue to be affected by new tragedies, while those in power seem divided instead of united in the pursuit of peace.
Echoing the words of Pope Leo XIV, Bishop Carlassare reminded the faithful that true peace is not achieved through a balance of power, but begins when people disarm their tongues and stop hate speech: “Our land has been consumed by too much violence. Many families are displaced. Many are in mourning. We cannot add more suffering to those who already bear heavy burdens.” Despite the brutal killings, the Bishop asked the faithful to believe in the power of “sincere listening, dialogue, and reconciliation,” describing each peaceful act as “a seed of hope, perhaps small, but capable of taking root and growing.”
On the other hand, Bishop Yunan Andali of the diocese of El Obeid in Sudan narrowly survived two nights of drone attacks that destroyed his residence, chapel, and offices, leaving everything in ruins. This is yet another episode in the civil war plaguing Sudan, equating both countries — Sudan and South Sudan — in suffering and violence. «The drones destroyed part of my Blessed Sacrament Chapel; my bedroom and my office on the south side,» the Bishop wrote. The following day, March 2, another attack rendered the diocesan headquarters unusable. «Thank God, not being in the room that night saved my life, giving me one more day for mission and evangelization. Thank you for your prayers, and we continue praying for one another.»
The attack on the Bishop’s residence is not an isolated incident. El Obeid, the capital of Sudan’s North Kordofan state and a city located kilometers southwest of Khartoum, has become one of the most heavily bombed cities in the brutal Sudanese civil war, a protracted conflict entering its third year since April 2023. The civil war erupted in Sudan following tensions between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces, resulting in the deaths of thousands of citizens, injuries to many others, loss of property, and the search for refuge by thousands of people in neighbouring countries. The most affected has logically been South Sudan, where the local violence of various leaders is compounded by the civil war situation in its northern neighbour.
