Pope Francis to Visit South Sudan in July

Pope Francis will visit South Sudan in July, the Vatican announced on Thursday.

He will be in South Sudan from July 5 to 7, visiting will visit the capital, Juba. The pope is also scheduled to travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo from July 2 to 5, visiting the capital Kinshasa and Goma in the eastern province of North Kivu.

The 85-year-old pontiff had wanted to visit predominantly Christian South Sudan for years but each time planning for a trip began it had to be postponed because of security concerns.

July will mark the 11th anniversary of South Sudan's separation from Sudan. Civil war erupted two years later in 2013, leading to 400,000 deaths. The two main sides signed a peace deal in 2018.

In 2019, pope Francis hosted South Sudan's opposing leaders at a Vatican retreat where he knelt and kissed their feet as he urged them not to return to conflict.

This week, UNMISS and the UN Human Rights Office published a report on the deaths of over 400 civilians during fighting last year between two rebel groups in Tambura County, Western Equatoria State.

Congo and Uganda are currently carrying out a joint military operation to combat them.