Gunmen kill 27 in South Sudan on eve of Pope Francis’ visit

At least 27 people have died in a clash between cattle herders and armed men in South Sudan as the country prepares to welcome Pope Francis.

The Pope is set to arrive in South Sudan on Friday for a three-day “pilgrimage of peace” alongside the Archbishop of Canterbury and the moderator of the general assembly of the Church of Scotland.

His visit comes after spending days in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), marking the end of the first leg of his two-nation 40th apostolic journey abroad.

For years, Pope Francis has expressed his desire to travel to South Sudan but the insecurity in the country, alongside the COVID crisis, complicated plans for a visit.

The visit to the country was aimed at starting a peace process and ending years of conflict that have killed hundreds of thousands of people.

On Thursday, armed herders killed 21 civilians including five children and a pregnant woman in a reprisal attack on a rival cattle camp in Kajo-Keji county of Central Equatoria.

Phanuel Dumo, the county commissioner, said the attack happened after fighters from a rebel group killed six people from a herding community in the county earlier on the same day.

The Archbishop of Canterbury said he was horrified by the latest killings.

He expressed his condolences and appealed for residents of the state to embrace peace.

“I am horrified that at least 19 people were killed in Kajo-Keji on the eve of our Pilgrimage of Peace. It is a story too often heard across South Sudan,” Welby tweeted.

“I again appeal for a different way: for South Sudan to come together for a just peace.

“My prayers are with the families affected and all South Sudan, as I begin my travel there tonight to join my brothers @Pontifex and @ChurchModerator and to be with the people of South Sudan.”

I am horrified that at least 19 people were killed in Kajo-Keji on the eve of our Pilgrimage of Peace. It is a story too often heard across South Sudan. I again appeal for a different way: for South Sudan to come together for a just peace.

— Archbishop of Canterbury (@JustinWelby) February 2, 2023