Pope Francis called for “laying down arms” during an open-air mass in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, which marked the end of his visit to two African countries torn by violence and misery.
Francis left Juba around noon this Sunday on the plane that was taking him back to the Vatican, together with the heads of the churches of England and Scotland, representatives of the other two Christian denominations in South Sudan with whom he carried out the visit.
Throughout his 48-hour visit, which followed another to the Democratic Republic of Congo, the pontiff made repeated calls for peace in South Sudan, with its Christian majority and 12 million inhabitants.
The country was plunged from 2013 to 2018 in 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 us lay down the weapons of hatred and revenge (…) let us overcome the antipathies and aversions that, over time, have become chronic and threaten to oppose tribes and ethnic groups,” the Pope said at the mass before some 70,000 faithful .
Before mass, Francisco, 86, greeted and blessed the crowd during a ride in his popemobileto the rhythm of shouts of joy and tambourines, reported the AFP news agency.
As they passed, the crowd chanted “Welcome to South Sudan!”, waving flags of the world’s youngest state and the Vatican.
On Saturday, Francis called for a “dignified life” for the internally displaced from this landlocked East African country, numbering some 2.2 million in December, according to the UN.
As soon as he arrived, the Pope He called on politicians 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.
Kiir and Machar’s personal armies 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.
On Thursday, the eve of the pope’s arrival, at least 21 people were killed in a cattle raid in the south.
In 2019, Francis received the two enemies in the Vatican and knelt down to kiss their feet, begging them to make peace.a gesture that was not followed by concrete progress.
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 of the Argentine Pope abroad since his election in 2013, and the third to sub-Saharan Africa.
