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Francis has made repeated calls for peace in the country with a Christian majority and 12 million inhabitants, which between 2013 and 2018 was immersed in a civil war. Before Juba, Francis paid a four-day visit to Congo, where he condemned the “heinous cruelties” of armed groups.
Pope Francis has made an appeal this Sunday to “lay down arms” during an open-air mass in Juba, the capital of South Sudanwhat brand the end of his African tour. And for this he has chosen this African country torn by violence and misery.
During his 48-hour stay, Francis has made repeated calls for peace in the country of Christian majority and 12 million inhabitantswhich between 2013 and 2018 was engulfed by a civil war between supporters of the two rival leaders, Salva Kiir and Riek Machar, which left 380,000 dead and millions internally displaced. “Let’s lay down the weapons of hatred and revenge (…) let’s overcome the antipathies and aversions that, over time, have become chronic and threaten to pit tribes and ethnic groups against each other” he told some 70,000 faithful.
Before the mass, Francis greeted and blessed the crowd during a ride in his popemobile, to the rhythm of shouts of joy and tambourines.
Following an ecumenical prayer on Saturday night, many worshipers spent the night at the John Garang mausoleum, named after the historic leader of the southern rebellion, who died in a mysterious 2005 helicopter crash and advocate of a united federal Sudan. , secular and democratic.
End of the African tour
The pontiff will depart from Juba to Rome around 11:30 a.m. (09:30 GMT) and will give his traditional press conference on the plane, together with the heads of the churches of England and Scotland, representatives of the other two Christian denominations of South Sudan with whom he carried out the visit .
On Saturday, Francis called for a “dignified life” for internally displaced people in this landlocked East African country, which in December had some 2.2 million internally displaced persons, according to the UN.
As soon as he arrived, the pope He called on the political class to give “a new impetus” to peace and condemned corruption.
The UN and the international community accuse the South Sudanese leadership of fueling violence, stifling political freedoms and embezzling public funds. The personal armies of Salva Kiir and Riek Machar are also accused of war crimes.
Despite the peace agreement signed in 2018 in the country that gained independence from Sudan in 2011, violence continues.
Before Juba, Francis paid a four-day visit to Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he condemned the “heinous cruelties” of armed groups.
This visit is the 40th visit by the Argentine pope abroad since his election in 2013, and the third to sub-Saharan Africa.
(With AFP)
