Pope Francis to visit South Sudan in July

March 3, 2022 (JUBA) – The head of Roman Catholic will visit South Sudan, honouring the invitation repeatedly extended to him by President Salva Kiir and the Catholic bishops and following in the country.

It will be the first high-level visit of the world’s top religious leader to the young nation since independence.

The visit, which will coincide with the Independence celebrations, has been postponed owing to security concerns.

In a statement released on Thursday by apostolic Nunciature in South Sudan, Pope Francis will visit the country where he is expected to spend two days after a visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

President Salva Kiir’s office welcomed the expected visit, describing it as a “good gesture”

“At the invitation of their respective heads of state and bishops, his holiness Pope Francis will make an apostolic journey to the democratic republic of Congo from 2 to 5 of July 2022, visiting the cities of Kinshasa and Goma and to South Sudan from 5 to 7 of July 2022, visit juba.

The programme and further details of the journey will be announced in due course”, reads a statement extended to the Sudan Tribune on Thursday.

Observers say the visit will push political leaders in the country to implement key provisions in the 2018 peace agreement, paving the way to conducting elections after the end of the interim period.

(ST)