Reverend Michael Yemba

A South Sudanese pastor living in the US says there can be no true reconciliation unless the South Sudanese examine the root causes of the conflict.

Reverend Michael Yemba, who is in Juba to assess the situation on behalf of South Sudanese clergy in the US, has called upon the media to encourage people to air their views to help the healing process.

“It’s not just a matter of words or papers but people must come together, people must be interviewed on the radio,” argued Reverend Yemba.

“I believe you can play a very big role by going out there asking people to speak the truth in front of the churches and the church leaders will convey this message to the government.”

Reverend Yemba says the reconciliation process must be inclusive in order to be effective.

“The government must know that our nation needs healing and not just healing that people talk about in offices, it must be practical outside the offices, and this initiative should be taken by the Church, day by day, gathering outside the church building in the open air, in the market places where people speak the truth because some people are afraid to come but we must encourage people to come and speak the truth,” he said.

“We must go up to even the village level, not only the town level.”

Reverend Michael Yemba said that South Sudan can follow the example of several countries in West Africa where healing and reconciliation initiatives have been successful.