By Spy Uganda Correspondent
Rome: Pope Francis has shown his great concern towards South Sudan’s endless fights hence tasking the war-torn country’s political leaders to start on the peace process than focusing on foreign sponsored wars.
READ ALSO: Pope Francis, Archbishop of Canterbury Intervene In South Sudan Peace Dispute
In his X-mas message, the Pope urged the African nation’s politicians to remember their commitments “to bring your country to a smooth implementation of the Peace Agreement.”
Pope also recalled their pledge to “visit South Sudan in due course, as things return to normalcy.”
“I have been glad to see the small progress you have made, but know it is not enough for your people to feel the full effect of peace,” he cautioned.
Pope Francis, repeated his desire to visit the country in order “to bear witness to a changed nation, governed by leaders who… ‘hold hands, united… as simple citizens’ to ‘become Fathers (and Mothers) of the Nation.’”
He concluded the Christmas message praying that South Sudan’s political leaders might “know greater trust among yourselves and a greater generosity of service to your people.”
“I pray you to know the peace that surpasses understanding in your own hearts and in the heart of your great nation.”
South Sudan fell into a civil war not long after it gained independence from Sudan, which came in July 2011.
The conflict raged from 2013 until September 2018 and pitted the forces of President Salva Kiir and ethnic Dinka against those of his Vice President, Riek Machar an ethnic Nuer.
Over 400,000 people died in the civil war while 250,000 fled their homes, and around half of the population of 11 million were left in dire poverty.
In September 2018, the peace process was restarted with the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
However, the situation remains complicated. The UN’s head of mission, David Shearer, recently reported to the UN Security Council that the peace accord is not being implemented as it should adding that violence still afflicts large portions of the nation.
