A Juba-based Comboni missionary priest has urged South Sudanese leaders to stop deceiving the country’s citizens and ensure genuine peace is achieved in the young nation.

Fr. Joseph Ukello, while launching the dissemination of the revitalized peace deal in Torit State Monday, called for sincerity from political leaders.

“Our country, South Sudan needs a sincere and true peace, not just talking. We need to ask Jesus Christ so that this peace becomes real not the peace hidden under the table. This will not work. It needs peace that comes from the heart, love and services,” said Ukello.

He added, “Deceiving people, but later go with guns behind others is not peace. Our government, we need real peace. We don’t need to be deceived. If there is no peace, tell us there is no peace”.

There have been reports of a surge of violence in several areas in the Equatoria region, where thousands of civilians are caught in the crossfire.

Ukello wondered why fighting still persists in a country seeking peace, urging the warring parties to give peace a chance for development.

“If there is real peace, the one that comes from Jesus Christ, then peace will come, guns will go silent, deceit will stop, development will come and roads will be repaired. If there is no peace, but just deceiving, then bad politics affects South Sudanese,” said the cleric.

“It is just the problem of money and power,” he stressed.

In September last year, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and opposition leaders, including Riek Machar, signed a revitalized peace deal promising an end to the five-year conflict that killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions.

But a coalition of non-signatory armed groups refused to join the peace process, saying the peace deal failed to address the root causes of the conflict.