Bishop Stephen Nyodho Ador Maiwok welcomes the Vatican Secretary of State upon his arrival to the Diocese where the Cardinal has met with refugees fleeing the war in Sudan., and appeals to the international community on behalf of the many people who “have nothing left”.
By Francesca Sabatinelli
The visit of Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin to the South Sudanese city of Malakal “is really significant for us,” according to Bishop Nyodho Ador Maiwok of Malakal Diocese.
In an interview with Vatican News, the Bishop explained how the Cardinal’s visit gives hope and demonstrates the love, closeness and solidarity of the Catholic Church with people who suffer.
Cardinal Parolin’s visit, he said, will help people understand that working together, in union between the different communities, will give them much strength to move forward, to build their country, their state, and their diocese.
Bishop Nyodho spoke about this hope that he and the entire Diocese have placed in the visit of the Vatican Secretary of State to his region, which began on Tuesday.
On Wednesday morning, he welcomed refugees escaping from the ongoing war in Sudan who arrived by boat and were accompanied by him on the final stretch to the reception centre. Also in Malakal, he celebrated Mass in the cathedral on Tuesday, and then met with refugees at the reception centre.
Fleeing war
More than 42,000 refugees have arrived in Malakal, located in the northeast of South Sudan.
Bishop Nyodho’s diocese includes the Upper Nile, Jonglei and Unity States where around 35,000 have been resettled, especially in places where they have family members. Most refugees are actually South Sudanese who had moved to Khartoum over the years. In total, one and a half million South Sudanese are in Sudan, but many are now returning to the south to escape the ongoing war.
An estimated 200,000 people have returned to South Sudan. When they arrive, the refugees almost always fall victim to robbers who take everything.
Many arrive at the border and travel to Malakal in a cargo boat of the Diocese that normally carries grain but is now used to transport people.
Between 400 and 800 people travel each way by boat in a journey lasting between two to three days. Cardinal Parolin boarded one of those boats on Wednesday. Three thousand people have been transported by this system up until now.
Cardinal Parolin’s meeting with refugees in the Malakal camp
Need for peace and reconciliation
Bishop Nyodho Ador Maiwok told Vatican News that the Diocese is one of the hardest hit by natural disasters and also has been destroyed by war. Now the diocese is receiving thousands of people fleeing the war in Sudan, adding to the great challenges.
He explained how the Diocese of Malakal was one of the first to offer help by creating a bridge to bring refugees from the border with Sudan to Malakal. “The people here need peace and reconciliation, they need unity,” as the Pope said when he came in February 2023.
Bishop Nyodho noted how Cardinal Parolin’s visit is a very important moment for everyone, as it will brings home the need to be united, to have strength to move forward, even if it is not easy, since these are the same people who used to fight each other in conflicts.
He added it will take a long time to bring them together. He recalled Pope Francis’ visit that gave great strength and hope for reconciliation among the people of the Nile, something that is very important.
Cardinal Parolin’s arrival in Malakal
Appeal to the international community
“There is nothing left here,” Bishop Nyodho Ador Maiwok decried, “how can you help the people arriving in this situation?”
Describing what war has brought with its destruction and looting, the Bishop explained the struggle of the refugees trying to flee. A single journey to take people from the border to Malakal costs between seven and eight thousand dollars, just for fuel, after which food must be provided, shelter, and now disease is also breaking out.
“We cannot sit back. That is why we are trying to move forward, to do what we can, according to our capacities,” he said. He noted also how the rainy season there is compounding the suffering, as “people do not have enough to cover themselves, and children and the elderly need a lot of help.”
In conclusion, Bishop Nyodho appealed to the international community, to aid partners and to all people of goodwill, because “the situation here really requires people of goodwill, it requires humanity,” for vital assistance to help the people survive and rebuild their lives.
