King Atoroba, Fatuyo call for peace, forgiveness ahead of Pope’s visit
Azande King Atoroba Peni Rikito and Western Equatoria Governor Alfred Futuyo have passionately appealed to citizens to commit themselves to a lasting peace as the country awaits the arrival of Pope Francis on Friday.
The two leaders made a rallying call in the WES capital, Yambio, early this week.
The duo challenged South Sudanese to seize the opportunity to reconcile, forgive, and give peace a chance for the progress of the nation.
“Let us make peace, build peace, and keep the peace; then our country will develop like other countries,” Futuyo said.
He added that the Pope’s presence in the country, from Friday, February 3, should be used to build long-term peace in the country by accepting one another.
The leader added that everyone in the state and the nation should view the Pope’s visit as a blessing and that whatever the Pope says should be put into practice for the sake of peace in the nation.
King Atoroba on the other hand urged his subjects to uphold peace by living in harmony with one another.
“Let us unite now. Let us take this time to sort out our differences. Let us forgive each other and embark on togetherness. Let us forget the past,” said a poetic King Atoroba.
The Azande King is already in Juba and he is expected to join other faithful in welcoming the Holy Father.
Pope Francis will visit South Sudan on February 3, 2023, to spread a message of peace and reconciliation there. He is now in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Holy Father will travel alongside the leaders of the Anglican Church and the Church of Scotland.
The six-day trip had been scheduled for July 2022, but Francis’ knee issues necessitated a postponement because they recently required him to use a wheelchair.
Pope Francis will have travelled to 40 different countries since being chosen as the Catholic Church’s head in 2013. This will be his fifth trip to the continent.
