The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, the Rt Revd Anthony Poggo, has made a solidarity visit to the Episcopal Church of South Sudan, amid the ongoing crisis of internally displaced people (IDPs) along the country’s border with Uganda.

Hosted by the Bishop of Kajo-Keji (the Rt Revd Dr James Lule) and the Bishop of Liwolo (the Rt Revd Joseph Aba Nicanor), the Secretary General visited various IDP camps on 2-3 September, learning how the local church is supporting people in the region. 

In recent months, tensions between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) along the Kajo-Keji border have led to thousands of people being displaced from their homes. Some reports indicate the number of IDPs may currently be between 15,000-35,000. These disputes have led UN entities to call for the two governments to resolve the issue - a call that echoed by the local church.

The Secretary General has a deep appreciation for the needs of displaced people and refugees in South Sudan. He was born in Kajo-Keji and as a child his family were displaced to neighbouring Uganda during the first Sudanese Civil War. In former roles with ACROSS and subsequently as bishop of the Kajo-Keji diocese, Bishop Anthony’s vocation has also involved close involvement in ministry to refugees.

Visiting IDP camps in the region 

The Rt Revd Anthony Poggo meets church and community representatives during his solidarity visit to Kajo-Keji and Liwolo, South Sudan.

On Sept 2, the Secretary General went to the Revival Movement Centre in Kajo Keji where he addressed the gathered congregation. Many had recently returned to the city after being displaced by the recent conflict.

On Sept 3, the Secretary General visited two of the five IDP camps in Liwolo, hearing the experiences of those who have been displaced by their loved ones. A camp near Sokare currently hosts 1547 households, another in Keriwa hosts 1686.

Throughout his visit, he has encouraged the local church for being ‘a voice for the community’ and assured all of his continued prayers and advocacy for their needs.

The church is working hard to accommodate the volume of displaced people with adequate food, medicine and shelter, but their resources fall short. 

The Rt Revd Anthony Poggo listens to a resident of an IDP camp in Liwolo as she describes the conditions facing displaced families.

Reflecting on the camp visits, the  Secretary General shared the experiences of a woman who told him: ‘Some days I sleep without eating anything and some days I sleep after eating once a day and I spend the night without anything’. The Secretary General relayed that ‘People are sleeping on wet floors of mud with a mat. This shows the extent of the suffering of the people in this region. They do not have the basic necessities.’

Appeals for Humanitarian Intervention

The Secretary General’s solidarity visit has been an encouragement to the advocacy efforts of Kajo Keji and Liwolo bishops and other bishops, who have been appealing for humanitarian support in the area in recent months.

On July 16, Bishop Joseph (Liwolo) issued an urgent humanitarian appeal for emergency assistance to internally displaced persons.

On July 28, Bishop James (Kajo Keji) made an appeal for humanitarian intervention, following surprise attacks between South Sudanese and Ugandan soldiers on Monday 28 July in South Sudan's Kajo Keji county.

He called for ‘humanitarian intervention, for peaceful resolution of conflicts by the warring forces, for protection of the civil population from any sort of violence and for the warring parties to abide by humanitarian and international laws to spare the civil population’.

More recently, Bishop Joseph told Sudan’s Post on August 18 that overcrowded IDP sites in Sokare, Keriwa and surrounding areas were still facing severe shortages of basic shelter, clean water, medical supplies and food. ‘We need to address the root cause, the long-standing boundary ambiguities, as the only path toward permanent stability,’ he said.

The Secretary General affirmed the appeals being made by the local church, and hopes that the governments of South Sudan and Uganda will work to ‘expedite the process of resolution of the border conflict so that we do not have any more suffering of the people as a result of continuous displacements.’

Solidarity and Support

Appealing for prayer and support for the region, Bishop James said ‘as we visit the people right now, they’re in great pain, especially when it comes to food and medical supplies because there are not enough’. For those returning to their homes, his prayer is that ‘peace may continue to return so that the ministry of the church also may progress’.

Bishop James described the Secretary General’s visit as ‘a comfort… His return was a moment of reconnecting, sharing love, sharing fellowship and encouragement for the people… He is like a father to the people of Kajo-Keji’. 

The Rt Revd Anthony Poggo, Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, is welcomed by the Rt Revd Dr James Lule, Bishop of Kajo-Keji (left), and the Rt Revd Joseph Aba Nicanor, Bishop of Liwolo (right) during his solidarity visit to South Sudan.

Bishop Joseph said that the visit has brought ‘a little bit of joy and a message of hope’ to the displaced people in his diocese. ‘Here, people know him; people love him. His coming to visit them in their time of greatest need is a source of encouragement. He has passed us a message of love, care and compassion, so [the people] know they are not abandoned; they are not alone.’

Companion Links and Support 

As with other humanitarian situations, churches in the wider Anglican Communion are responding to support the Church in South Sudan. The Diocese of Liwolo and the Diocese of Blackburn in the Church of England have a close companion link which has been a source of support in turbulent times. The Bishop of Blackburn, the Rt Revd Philip North and Bishop Joseph first met at the Lambeth Conference in 2022 and have met several times since through Blackburn's international partnership links. Bishop Philip continues to drive fundraising efforts and raise awareness of the humanitarian plight in Liwolo. The Diocese’s 2026 harvest appeal is dedicated to this end. Christian Aid has also set up a donation page to help support the humanitarian needs in Kajo Keji County. 

More information

Christian Aid have set up an appeal page to support the work of the Dioceses. Learn more here.

Read an Anglican News article about Bishop Joseph’s call for humanitarian aid (August 1).

See an Anglican News article sharing Bishop Joseph’s open letter to the governments of South Sudan and Uganda (August 11).

See a recent article from the Diocese of Blackburn, which has a strong companion link with the Diocese of Liwolo about the efforts of the Rt Revd Philip North (Bishop of Blackburn) in raising awareness of the current humanitarian crisis.

See the article from Sudan’s Post about the displacement crisis along the border corridor.