South Sudan’s retired Archbishop Deng Bul receives award for peace efforts

JUBA – Former Primate of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan, Daniel Deng Bul, has received the Hubert Walter Award Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation for his outstanding contributions to the Church and society.

The retired cleric was among 30 individuals awarded for their outstanding contributions to the Church and wider society by Archbishop of Canterbury from Lambeth Palace, London in April.

The Award was presented to the retired Archbishop by Dr. Justin Badi Arama, Primate of Episcopal Church of South Sudan in Juba on Wednesday.

“All his tireless efforts in moving around the country talking for peace, reconciling people, and teaching peace has been recognized by Lambeth Palace,” Badi said.

“Today on behalf of Lambeth Palace, I want to hand over this award to retired Archbishop Daniel Deng Bull,” Dr. Badi said as he handed over the Silver Award to Deng.

“You are supposed to travel to English to receive this award in Lambeth Palace Archbishop of Canterbury but due to COVID-19 which has made movement hard, the Archbishop of Canterbury has asked me on his behalf to give this award to you,” he added.

Retired Archbishop Daniel Deng Bull appreciated Archbishop of Canterbury for recognizing Anglican Church of Sudan and South Sudan.

“This is a very big recognition not to me alone but to the Episcopal Church of South Sudan and that the church has the mandate to bring people of God together,” Deng said.

He encouraged the church leaders to work tirelessly to bring peace to South Sudan.

“Our brothers and sisters in the church should work tirelessly to bring unity and peace to our people of South Sudan,” he said.

Besides Deng, late Paulino Lukudu was also awarded the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation “for consistently demonstrating exceptional commitment to the defense of human rights and contributing to peace and ecumenism in South Sudan, between 1983 and 2019.