PAPAL VISIT SOUTH SUDAN: South Sudan’s Young Children Appeal for speedy Restoration of Peace in the Country
Fr. Isaac Ojok
At the continuation of his Apostolic Ecumenical pilgrimage to South Sudan, Pope Francis on Saturday evening met the people displaced by the ongoing civil war in South Sudan.
The meeting started with opening prayer led by the General Moderator of the Church of Scotland Rev Iain Greenshield in the presence of the Arch bishop of Canterbury Justin Webly at the Freedom hall in Juba the capital city of South Sudan.
At the meeting of the Pope with the victims of war in South Sudan were the young children living in the camps with their parents who continue to witness humanitarian tragedy in their country and had the opportunity to share their heartbreaking stories with His Holiness the Pope.
Among them, a 16-year-old young boy from upper Nile said they have been in the camp for close to 8 years, a point he is receiving his formal education amidst many challenges facing the people.
A young child further revealed that life and the means of survival in the camps is depending on the humanitarian assistance and the generosity from the aid workers like those from the United Nations and other organizations.
“If there was peace, i would be enjoying my childhood at home”, a boy child narrated.
He went on saying that apart from the ongoing war, their lives in the camp have been shattered by other natural disasters like the floods in the year 2022 followed by droughts with its direct adverse effects on their livelihoods.
He then appealed to Religious leaders to continue working and advocating for peace in South Sudan so that leaders can understand and start initiating love, peace and unity in the country.
Relatedly, Juma John Alex a 14-year-old boy who belong to Episcopal Church of South Sudan disclosed that he and the parents have been in the camps beginning in the year 2014 at the initial start of the war in the country.
He passionately mentioned that because of the ongoing war in their country, many children are not going to school due to poverty, limited teachers depriving many young children the opportunity and the right to access formal education.
He went on to say for them to have a better future, they continue to pray to God for peace to return in their country to enable them return home and concentrate in school.
Meanwhile Rabecca Nyakun, a young girl in her presentation thanked the Holy Father for choosing to visit South Sudan, his concern and special love and care for the people of the country that will one time return to normalcy.
She asked the Pope to bestow special blessing upon all the children of South Sudan in the quest for peace in the country and for better future of all children.
Representatives of the war victims who met the Pope were the children, women and men drawn from places like Juba, Wau, Malakal, and the representatives from Maban all in South Sudan and Sudan respectively.
The ongoing conflicts in South Sudan is associated with impunity, gross violation of human rights, starvation, chronic health problem with Children, women, the people with disabilities who are the most affected categories of people.
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