South Sudan: Diocese of Torit disturbed by attack on the Parish of Loa

Paul Samasumo – Vatican City

In a Statement shared with South Sudanese media and made available to Vatican News on 3 April, Bishop Emmanuel Bernardino Lowi Napeta, the Ordinary of the Diocse of Torit, called for an “impartial investigation into the incident.”

A climate of fear and anxiety 

The Catholic Diocese of Torit said it viewed the 26 March 2025 assault on the premises of ‘Our Lady of Assumption Parish’ in Loa, Magwi County, with deep concern. According to Bishop Napeta, the perpetrators of the attack are a local unit of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF). The prelate further asserts that the assailants went away with the body of the deceased. The Diocese is calling upon South Sudanese authorities to help recover the remains of the deceased person. The Diocese has appealed for an impartial investigation.

There was no information on the condition of the injured person and so far, the government has not commented on the matter.  

The motive for the attack on the parish remains unclear.

Commitment to Justice and Peace 

Bishop Napeta has however emphasised that the Diocese of Torit is committed to peace and justice for all and would continue prioritising its service to humanity and an end to all forms of violence.

“The commitment of the Catholic Diocese of Torit to promote justice and peaceful coexistence is well established and known by the entire leadership of the Government of South Sudan,” Bishop Napeta said.

Beloved South Sudanese

The 2018 power-sharing agreement between South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar, the First Vice President, ended a brutal five-year civil war.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) recently appealed to South Sudan’s leaders to exercise restraint following the house arrest of First Vice President Riek Machar by government forces. In a statement, UNMISS said South Sudan is teetering on the brink of a return to full-scale civil war as violence escalates and political tensions deepen. There are also fears that South Sudan could be drawn into the Sudanese civil war.

Pope Francis has made several pleas for peace over the years and even travelled to South Sudan between 3 February and 5 February 2023 to help cement the peace process.

Last week, during the Angelus, the Pope returned with a touching appeal for South Sudan.

"I renew my heartfelt appeal to all leaders to do their utmost to lower the tension in the country. We must put aside our differences and, with courage and responsibility, sit around a table and engage in constructive dialogue. Only in this way will it be possible to alleviate the suffering of the beloved South Sudanese people and to build a future of peace and stability,” the Holy Father said.

The Pontiff’s appeals for peace have, in the last two years, extended to South Sudan’s neighbour—Sudan—where a ruinous civil war has resulted in one of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis currently happening.