Today, Saturday, in Juba, Pope Francis made a strong appeal to the leaders of South Sudan to restore “dignity” to the displaced, once again calling for peace in a country divided by conflicts.
Pope Francis said, during a meeting with internally displaced persons on the second day of his visit, “I renew with all my strength and with all my heart my call to stop every conflict and for everyone to seriously return to the peace process so that violence ends and people can return to living in dignity.”
And he stressed, in front of 2,500 people, that “we cannot wait for more than that: a huge number of children born in recent years have only known the reality of the camps for the displaced, forgotten the atmosphere of the home, and lost their attachment to their motherland, roots and traditions.”
And the Pope of the Catholic Church said, “I ask you, I ask all the inhabitants of these lands: May women be protected, respected, valued and honored.”
On Friday, the Pope began a highly anticipated “journey of peace” in South Sudan.
Since South Sudan declared its independence in 2011 from Sudan, five years of internal disputes and conflicts have erupted between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those loyal to his deputy, Riek Machar, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and millions of displaced people.
Despite the peace agreement reached in 2018, the country continues to experience violence from local armed militias and rival ethnic groups.
– “a human tragedy”
And the Pope considered, after listening to the testimonies of three young people who recounted the difficulty of life in the camps, “Unfortunately, in this tortured country, being a displaced person or a refugee has become a normal and collective experience.”
“I am with you, I am in pain for you and with you,” he added, warning of the “exacerbation” of this “human tragedy”.
Pope Francis concludes his visit tomorrow morning, Sunday, with an open-air Mass in which thousands of worshipers will participate.
– “Enough destruction”
The Pope did not embellish his words, yesterday, Friday, in front of the political class in this country, which includes 60 ethnic groups.
The 86-year-old Pope said, “Stop the bloodshed, stop the conflict, stop the violence and mutual accusations about the perpetrators, stop abandoning the people thirsting for peace. Stop the destruction, it’s time to build.”
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