Pope Francis called on Sunday, February 5, to "lay down arms" in South Sudan, during an open-air mass in the capital Juba marking the end of his visit to this country.

Throughout his 48-hour visit, the pope has multiplied calls for peace in this country with a Christian majority of 12 million inhabitants, plagued from 2013 to 2018 by a civil war between the supporters of the two enemy 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 these antipathies and aversions which, over time, have become chronic and which risk opposing tribes and ethnic groups", launched the pope before some 70,000 faithful.

Before the mass, the pope greeted and blessed the crowd during a ride aboard his "Papamobile", to the rhythm of dinghies and tambourines.

"Welcome to South Sudan!", chanted the faithful in an English chant as he passed, waving flags of the world's youngest state and the Vatican.

After an ecumenical prayer on Saturday evening, many faithful spent the night at the John Garang Mausoleum, named after the historic leader of the southern rebellion, who died in a mysterious helicopter crash in 2005 and cantor of a united federal Sudan, secular and democratic.

Others streamed in throughout the night through the city's dusty roads, dressed in traditional attire.

Some wore a cross around their neck or an image of the pope.

A "jolt" for peace

The pontiff was due to leave Juba for Rome around 11:30 a.m. (9:30 a.m. GMT).

On the plane, he will give his traditional press conference, alongside the heads of the Churches of England and Scotland, representatives of the two other Christian denominations in South Sudan, with whom he made this visit.

As soon as he arrived, the pope had called on the political class to "leapfrog" for peace and castigated the scourge of corruption.

The UN and the international community regularly accuse South Sudanese leaders of maintaining a status quo, stoking violence, suppressing political freedoms and embezzling public funds.

The personal armies of Salva Kiir and Riek Machar are also accused of war crimes.

Despite a peace agreement signed in 2018 in this country which gained independence from Sudan in 2011, the violence continues.

Thursday, the day before the arrival of the pope, at least 21 people had been killed during a theft of cattle in the south of the country.

In 2019, Francis had received the two enemy brothers at the Vatican and knelt down to kiss their feet, begging them to make peace, a strong gesture which had not yet been followed by concrete progress.

Before Juba, François made a four-day visit to Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he notably condemned the "atrocious cruelties" of armed groups in the east of the country.

This visit is the 40th of the Argentine pope abroad since his election in 2013, the third in sub-Saharan Africa.

With AFP

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