Pope Francis led prayer for peace in South Sudan and Congo last night, after a papal visit to the countries was deferred by the ongoing conflict in the regions.
'We want to sow seeds of peace in the lands of South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and in all lands devastated by war,' the Pope said yesterday in a prayer vigil at the Vatican's St Peter's Basilica, according to Catholic News Agency.
A planned ecumenical visit in Autumn to South Sudan was set to include the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, but the ground situation was ultimately deemed too unstable. Recognising his absence, the Pope insisted: 'We know that prayer is more important, because it is more powerful: prayer works by the power of God, for whom nothing is impossible.'
South Sudan has been ravaged in recent years by civil war, famine and a resulting refugee crisis. Since the internal conflict between warring militias began in 2013, about four million people have been displaced. The violence, alongside severe and frequent droughts has brought havoc on farming, blocked the passage of aid and provoked economic catastrophe. A cathedral has provided refuge to more than 10,000 internally displaced persons seeking protection from violence.
In October 2016, South Sudan's inflation rate reached 836 per cent, making it the highest in the world. The country only emerged from an official famine in June this year, but millions are still at risk of starvation.
As many as 700 child refugees flee South Sudan into bordering Uganda every week. International children's charity World Vision has said that 150,000 child refugees in mass settlements in northern Uganda require post-trauma therapy after fleeing South Sudan's violence.
The DRC has also seen bloody militia conflict with thousands displaced or killed in recent years since political unrest flared up in 2015, over the controversial ongoing leadership of President Joseph Kabila. Congo's Kasai region alone has seen more than 3,300 people, including civilians, killed in the past year.
Pope Francis prayed that the Risen Christ would 'break down the walls of hostility' in the world, focussing on the war-torn regions. He prayed for women and children caught up in the conflict, and asked that 'all the little ones and the poor of our world to continue to believe and trust that the kingdom of God is at hand, in our midst, and is justice, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.'
He added: 'May the Lord enable all of us to be peacemakers wherever we find ourselves, in our families, in school, at work, in the community, in every setting.'
