I have met both Donald Trump and Boris Johnson in the course of my work. You might associate one man with his campaign to build a wall along the US border with Mexico, and the other with Brexit. But I was trying to convince them to spare a thought for my country, South Sudan.

I quite understand that they have other things on their minds. When I visited parliament on the fraught opening day of the Brexit debate, Johnson recognised me from his trip to South Sudan, and sought to reassure me. But he had resigned as foreign secretary, because of Brexit.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Father James Oyet Latansio. Photograph: Cafod

As for Trump, he told me that South Sudan was “a bad deal”. I was in Washington as part of a church delegation from our troubled country, seeking help. What he meant was that the US government was struggling to work with leaders whose only interest was in perpetuating an endless war.

The timing of that mission was probably a “bad deal” for us, too. Amid the constant noise of Brexit, the border wall and US-China trade wars, I find myself having to shout to get anyone to pay attention to the continuing conflict in South Sudan. But this does not hold me back. The church in South Sudan has to keep Africa’s most pressing humanitarian crisis high on the international community’s agenda.

We are a “nation interrupted”. The civil war that broke out only two years after we gained independence in 2011 has killed more than 400,000 people, ruined the economy, driven nearly 4 million people from their homes and disrupted the education of generations. About 7 million people, more than half the population, are now dependent on humanitarian aid for their survival, according to the UN.

The presence of international charities such as Cafod and Trócaire has so far staved off the spread of famine, despite the dangers they face. These charities offer hope to people in remote parts of the country, sometimes reaching areas where other aid agencies fear to tread because of the risk of attack. The killing of a Jesuit priest, Father Victor-Luke Odhiambo, showed the church is not immune, even though we have a strong presence in all ethnic communities.

Born out of brutality, South Sudan, the world’s youngest state, drowns in murder, rape and arson Read more

The church knows all too well that the future peace of South Sudan cannot rest solely on the latest fragile deal between the warring sides. Ink on paper is not enough: there needs to be change at the grassroots level. We are working with traumatised, war-torn communities on peace-building and reconciliation. By bringing together Dinka and Nuer people across the main ethnic divide, and persuading perpetrators and victims to meet face to face, we can address the grievances that are fuelling the conflict, including endemic violence against women. This is what the Churches Action Plan for Peace is doing, community by community.

The international community must be robust in demanding that the peace deal agreed in September is adhered to, above all when it comes to honouring the commitment by all sides to a ceasefire. We need this to be amplified by the UK government, which should maintain pressure on the Juba administration to ensure that it stays on track. We refuse to be left along the roadside – we too have mothers, children, fathers, young people, the elderly and disabled people, suffering the brutality of this five-year conflict.

South Sudan is blessed with the waters of the Nile, fertile terracotta soil, and oil wealth. These assets would allow the country’s people to rebuild their lives and flourish, but this is only possible if there is real peace on the ground. We deserve the concerted attention and efforts of the international community, despite Brexit and other distractions.

My hope is the last thing to die. With international support we can turn a “bad deal” – death and destruction – into a good one, where there is peace and reconstruction.