On February 23rd, 2017, the Catholic Bishops of South Sudan issued a new pastoral letter responding to the increasing violence of the ongoing Civil War in South Sudan. They condemn the fact that civilians are being killed by government and opposition forces due to presumptions about ethnic affiliation. They also note the extreme humanitarian crisis in the country that is making life even more unbearable for civilians caught in the instability brought by the fighting, and appeal to the government, whom they claim is often distrustful of the Church despite its track record mediating peace. However, they also note that their appeal is to all people of South Sudan, and also to the international community in order to make clear to them the direness of the country's current situation. Read the full message below.