The mission of Late Pope Francis in South Sudan is not merely a memory; it is a spiritual mandate that continues to challenge the conscience of the nation’s leadership.
The Holy Father offered his full-throated support toward peace by placing the country prominently on his diary of holy activities. The world will forever remember the moment in 2019 when the Late Pope, in a surprise and profoundly humbling move, knelt in Vatican City to kiss the feet of South Sudanese leaders—a plea to God for the country to heal from devastating, man-made sufferings.
As their feet were being kissed, the leaders, including President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar—trembled and appeared remorseful, keenly aware of the immense hardship the ordinary citizens were and are still shouldering. That single, powerful act raised high speculation among South Sudanese that the leaders, having received the Late Pope’s blessing in that holy place, would immediately commit to a swift implementation of the peace agreement. His Holiness’s strategy was spiritual: to melt their hearts, forcing a change of attitude that would build trust, love, and a genuine commitment to peace values.
As the two principal figures, President Kiir and First Vice President Machar command substantial followership. The Late Pope’s strategy of kissing their feet was also designed to in still a subtle fear in the hearts of the leaders; a quiet warning that failure to fully implement the peace agreement would risk incurring divine wrath.
However, that moral force has not yet translated into the required political urgency. The agreement has not seen quick implementation. Instead, the leaders have further downed the peace toolbox. The transitional period remains fraught with fundamental issues: persistent mistrust, unending disputes over control of resources, power-sharing arrangements, and jockeying for political advantage as elections approach.
Even in his passing, the Late Pope’s vision remains alive. The Vatican had previously scheduled his visit for July 2022 to South Sudan and the DRC but was cancelled on medical grounds. The message to the government is clear: take the peace agreement implementation seriously. Leaders, you must still remember and uphold the legacy the Late Pope Francis left behind.
Building peace in a country that has suffered from long armed conflicts is not easy. With the deep divisions among the leaders, a quick fix is hard to achieve. External bodies like Troika and IGAD have repeatedly tried to assert diplomatic and economic pressures, yet nothing changes. The Vatican, too, has tried to influence the leaders with holy eyes, but there remains no breakthrough.
The only way forward is for the South Sudanese leaders to finally own the mantle of their nation’s destiny. This requires accommodating all grievances within the constitution-making processes through genuine, consensus-based decisions. It is only when the political elite surrenders self-interest for the common good that the stage can be set for the citizens to decide their rights legitimately and live in dignity.
God Protect South Sudan.
Be the spectator!