Archbishop of Canterbury Justine Welby. (Courtesy).

The Archbishop of Canterbury says he is horrified by the killing of civilians during a cattle-related attack in Kajo-Keji County of Central Equatoria State on Thursday.

Justin Welby said in a Twitter post that at least 19 people were killed in Kajo-Keji on the eve of their peace Pilgrimage to South Sudan.

“I am horrified that at least 19 people were killed in Kajo-Keji on the eve of our Pilgrimage of Peace. It is a story too often heard across South Sudan,” Welby tweeted.

Archbishop Welby further said his prayers are with the families and all of South Sudan.

He appealed to South Sudanese to come together for a just peace.

Pope Francis, Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby will arrive later today and join the Moderator-General of the Church of Scotland, Rev Dr. Iain Greenshields who is already in Juba.

Meanwhile, a religious leader has called on humanitarian agencies and UN agencies to provide relief assistance to 3,000 people displaced by the Thursday morning attack.

Paul Yugusuk said that the displaced persons mainly women and children are lucking food and non-food items.

“The situation is very bad, is full of fear, these are people who are not armed, these are innocent women and children, even the IDPs  if you identified the IDPs is not only from Lere Payam,” Bishop Yugusuk said.

“We have now of Magili and from different Bomas people are running nowhere just getting to a safer place, so the environment is full of fear and I believe they do not stay there for two or three days.”

“They might find themselves to their way to Uganda if there’s nothing, especially now their things have been looted, of course, hunger is another thing. That is why the humanitarian agencies need to intervene immediately as well as the government to also intervene to protect the people under this situation.”