A victim of inter-tribal violence in South Sudan has told how a survivor of even greater violence in neighbouring Rwanda has helped him forgive his enemies and seek peace through God.
James Jibi, who works with the police chaplaincy in Juba, was forced to hide his family indoors for several days as armed groups roamed the streets of the South Sudan capital.
When it was finally safe to venture outside, he found the streets littered with dead bodies.
Soon after this, James was encouraged to take part in an African Enterprise (AE) Peace and Reconciliation program, during which he met an AE facilitator from Rwanda.
The facilitator told James of the suffering he himself experienced during the 1994 Rwanda genocide, when 800,000 people were slaughtered in three months.
“I identified with his struggles”, James says, “and he helped me to overcome my own hurt”.
James says that through the AE program he found the freedom to forgive those for the terrible violence which took place in Juba.
“People in South Sudan are still recovering from what happened and there is still widespread mistrust and animosity.
“But I hope that with God’s help, we South Sudanese will manage to forgive one another and reconcile with one another”.
James now wants to be a “bridge” between opposing tribal groups.
“I am no longer prejudiced against other tribes and this helps me to minister to them in love”.
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Story provided by Mike Heard, AE Supporter.
