By Spy Uganda Correspondent
Pope Francis began a visit to South Sudan on Friday with an impassioned plea to its fractious leaders to turn their backs on the violence, ethnic hatred and corruption that have stopped the world’s youngest country from achieving peace and prosperity.
Tens of thousands of people sang, drummed and ululated as the Roman Catholic leader arrived in the capital, at Juba Airpot for an unprecedented joint “pilgrimage of peace” but then his arrival was mixed with drama when a white dove which is a sign of peace in Catholic faith, refused to fly after being hoisted by the Pope.
Usually, when Pope arrives in a country, he breathes peace into that county by hoisting the dove. When it flies, it’s a sign that peace will flourish across that country’s beats and bounds. However, this time when the Pope arrived at Juba airport, got out of his plane, faced South Sudan leaders including President Salvar Kiir and released the dove, it refused to even make a single step.!
”The dove just stood on stairs of plan. Several attempts were made to scare it away so it could fly,but those fell on its deaf ears until they gave up in total disappointment. Infact, sooner than later, the Pope received information that over 27 civilians had just been slaughtered like chicken in Kajo-Keji, a county in the Central Equatoria state.
The violence was sparked by an attack by “unknown gunmen” on a camp of cattle herders, according to Phanuel Dumo, the county’s commissioner.
Meanwhile, the Pope preached, “I beg you, with all my heart, to accept four simple words: not my words, but those of Christ … ‘No more of this!'”
The pope said in his first address, in front of an audience that included President Salva Kiir and other government figures. “No more bloodshed, no more conflicts, no more violence and mutual recriminations about who is responsible for it.”
Afterwards, the pope had a private meeting with Kiir at the presidential palace, before delivering a speech to authorities, diplomats and representatives of civil society.
“We undertook this ecumenical pilgrimage of peace after hearing the plea of an entire people that, with great dignity, weeps for the violence it endures, its persistent lack of security, its poverty and the natural disasters it has experienced,” he said.
Francis said South Sudan was blessed with abundant natural resources but these should be shared out, not restricted to a few through corruption.
“The inequitable distribution of funds, secret schemes to get rich, patronage deals, lack of transparency: all these pollute the riverbed of human society,” he said.
South Sudan has some of the largest crude oil reserves in sub-Saharan Africa but staggering amounts of money have been diverted from public coffers, the United Nations said in 2021.
But South Sudan’s government continues to deny accusations of widespread corruption.
