Cardinal-elect and Archbishop Stephen Ameyu (File photo)

Catholic bishops have called on the unity government to arrest and bring to justice perpetrators of the deadly violence against civilians in Kajo-Keji County of Central Equatoria State.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the Archbishop of the Catholic Diocese of Juba Stephen Ameyu, urged the government to take a bold step to hold to account the perpetrators.

“We, the catholic bishops ask the government of South Sudan to take serious steps to apprehend the killers and put them to law, no killing is justifiable, God blesses you,” Ameyu said on behalf of the clerics.

He was commenting on the attack that occurred in Kajo-Keji County near the Ugandan border, on the eve of the visit of the Pope and two other religious leaders.

The incident was carried out by cattle herders believed to have retialiated the killing of their cattle by unidentified armed men on Thursday.

Four volunteers from the South Sudan Red Cross Society previously deployed in the border town to carry out Ebola awareness were among those killed.

The UN mission in South Sudan estimated that 2,000 people, including 30 unaccompanied children, were displaced from their homes.