Â鶹Éç

Available for over a year

In South Sudan the choirs have been practicing, the streets of the capital Juba have been scrubbed, the grandstands have been assembled: the preparations for Pope Francis visit have been intense. Millions of South Sudanese Christians are excited about the visit. But it's also a country that has been fractured by civil war and political instability since gaining independence in 2011. In 2019 the Pope kissed the feet of South Sudan’s bitter political rivals President Salva Kiir and his deputy Riek Machar when they met at the Vatican in an effort to promote peace - an astonishing act that nevertheless has not led to a lasting end to the conflict. The award-winning human rights activist Riya William Yuyada is excited about the possibility for change that may come out of the Pope's presence; already, she notes, the city of Juba has been cleaned up. “He kissed the feet of our leaders. This should be a sign that [they] should wake up. It's God who punishes so they'd better... fix the country and fix the human rights situation. We want peace in our country and we want stability." (Pic: A man looks at a wall mural depicting Pope Francis as preparations to welcome the Pope continue, in Juba, South Sudan; Credit: Reuters)