Pope Francis met with the president of South Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit. The meeting was very much anticipated by the pope, because he has wanted to visit South Sudan for some time, but couldn't.
“I don't speak English. I need a translator.”
The pope received a plaque as a memento of the visit and Francis gave the president the medallion symbolizing peace. He also gave him four of his magisterial documents and the Declaration for Human Fraternity made in the United Arab Emirates with one of the top leaders of Sunni Islam; the imam of al-Azhar.
The pope expressed his desire to travel to the president's country, when conditions permit. The civil war that erupted in 2013 has not yet concluded. In September, both sides of the conflict signed a peace agreement, but the situation remains unstable.
According to the UN Refugee Agency, at the end of December, the number of refugees caused by the conflict was 2.2 million. In addition to the victims of the war, is the serious problem of malnutrition affecting the youngest.
