President Salva Kiir Discusses Faith and Peace in South Sudan

South Sudan President Salva Kiir urged citizens to abandon historical grievances and choose peace ahead of the nation’s elections, CBN reported.

Nearly fifteen years after winning independence in 2011, the world’s youngest nation continues to grapple with institutional instability and humanitarian hardship. For Kiir, a regular attendee at Sunday Mass services lasting more than three hours, religious conviction served as an anchor through decades of conflict with the government in Khartoum.

“We tried to convince our brothers in the north by talking but they could not understand us. So we took arms and went to the bush to fight them,” Kiir told CBN.

The historical conflict stemmed from deep-seated political, cultural, and religious divisions. Sudan pursued policies that many in the south saw as an attempt to force them to abandon their Christian faith and submit to strict Islamic law.

“We did not want to separate, but they got stuck on religion, the Islamic religion, that all of us must be Muslims and that the country to be ruled by Sharia law,” Kiir told CBN.

Decades of combat left deep socioeconomic scars that independence alone could not erase. Displacement, hunger, and localized conflict continue to threaten vulnerable populations across the region.

In October, retaliatory ethnic violence claimed dozens of lives. These ongoing clashes over territory and scarce resources pose a persistent threat to domestic security.

“Let us stop the revenge killing; let us stop anything to do with fighting among South Sudanese,” Kiir told CBN.

Communities affected by ongoing violence frequently rely on local religious institutions for basic survival. Churches across the country provide vital refuge and basic humanitarian relief.

“One of the things that the church provides for us is not just refuge, but it gives them dignity,” said Adut Salva Kiir, Senior Presidential Envoy for Special Programs, telling CBN.

The country is preparing for presidential elections scheduled for December, which would be the first since independence in 2011. Kiir encouraged citizens to participate directly in shaping the political future of the state.

“Let us abandon all the grievances, something wrong that has been done to you, let it go,” Kiir told CBN.

“Forgive them,” Kiir responded when asked if he meant people should forgive past wrongdoings.