late Anglican Bishop Emeritus Nathaniel Garang Anyieth - Courtesy

Samuel Bior Garang Anyieth, the third son of the late Bishop Emeritus Nathaniel Garang Anyieth, has revealed his father’s final plea for national unity and spiritual perseverance in South Sudan.

Anglican Bishop Nathaniel Garang Anyieth died on February 24, 2026, in Nairobi, Kenya. Archbishop Justin Badi Arama confirmed the Bishop Emeritus’s death in a video message, noting his role in the church during the nation’s independence period.

Speaking during a tribute to the influential religious leader on Monday, March 30, Samuel Bior shared his father’s dying words, which focused on the reconciliation of the country’s leadership and the divine destiny of its people.

According to Samuel Bior, the Bishop’s primary concern in his final moments was the fragmentation of the nation. He reportedly urged his children to carry a specific message to the political and community leaders of South Sudan.

“Our father had only one wish for the country,” Samuel Bior stated. “His dying words were, ‘Go tell our leaders not to separate the few who have left. Tell our leaders to unite the few who have left.'”

The Bishop’s message also addressed the prolonged difficulties faced by the citizens of South Sudan. He framed the current national struggles not as abandonment, but as a period of refinement and hidden blessing.

Samuel Bior noted that his father remained convinced of a divine purpose for the “children of Kush,” a biblical reference often associated with the people of the Nile Valley.

“God knows why He is taking us through all these hardships, because it is through hardship that God blesses the people He loves,” Samuel Bior shared. “It is through hardship that God gives us the blessings that He has hidden, which we cannot see with our mortal eyes.”

Despite the economic and social challenges currently facing the country, the late Bishop’s final testimony was one of hope. He encouraged South Sudanese to maintain their identity and faith regardless of their circumstances.

“Our father said that despite the difficulties we are going through, you are still God’s promised people,” Samuel Bior concluded.

Bishop Emeritus Nathaniel Garang Anyieth, a towering figure in the Episcopal Church of South Sudan, was known for his role in spiritual leadership and community mobilization during the country’s long struggle for independence.