The Archbishop of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) South Sudan has been elected the new regional evangelical president for the North-East Africa region.

The elections were held at a regional assembly conference in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa at the end of last month.

Archbishop Elias Taban has in the recent past worked as the president of the Evangelical Alliance in South Sudan and a mediator for the SPLA-IO break-away groups in 2017.

With the new assignment, Elias Taban will oversee Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Eretria, Djibouti, Sudan, Ethiopia, and South Sudan as the new regional president.

Archbishop Taban told Radio Tamazuj Monday that his new role will focus on regional peace and promotion of inter-religious co-existence within the region.

“During the general assembly, the leaders of the evangelical churches had to confirm and declared me as the new president for the North-East region with effect from the 30 April 2021,” Archbishop Taban said “And this is mostly a position of advocacy, to speak for the evangelical and Christian churches in those countries and at the same time to mediate peace efforts in the region and promote co-existence of the churches alongside other religion without any problems.”

He will also work together with the South Sudan Council of Churches (SSCC) in leading peace negotiations within the country and the North-East region.

“Even if we are a young country, we are not young in the church and we are capable of leading in the region and with the help of the South Sudan Council of churches and other churches we should team together and promote our region so that Christians in the region can have an equal voice with other religions,” Archbishop Taban added. 

Baraka Moses, a resident of Yei town, welcomed the election of Archbishop Elias Taban and urged him to pressure the South Sudanese leaders to implement the peace agreement. 

“I am happy that Elias has been elected as the new president to oversee the region. In South Sudan we need lasting peace because we have suffered enough and we encourage Elias to use his influence to speak to President Kiir, Riak, and other non-signatories to work for peace,” Baraka said.

Hakim Benjamin, another Yei resident, asked Archbishop Taban to initiate peace efforts so that the government can sign a permanent peace agreement with NAS leader Gen. Thomas Cirillo. 

“I am happy a South Sudanese Archbishop is heading the region and what I want from him is that he has to engage in direct peace talks between the government and the NAS leaders. South Sudan is still in problems, people are being displaced, cars burnt down on the highways and he has to push for real peace in the country and the region,” Benjamin said.