Pope Francis will visit South Sudan in October if the security situation in the country stricken by civil war and famine does not worsen, a bishop from the country said on Tuesday. The pope has said several times that he wants to go to the country to preach peace but so far no time frame has been given. Oil-producing South Sudan, which became independent in 2011, descended into civil war in December 2013 when a dispute between President Salva Kiir and his sacked deputy Riek Machar ended with fighting, often along ethnic lines. If these warmongers don't come and sit together the war will continue," Tombe said. On top of the civil war, South Sudan has been hit by the same east African drought that has pushed Somalia to the brink of famine, six years after 260,000 people starved to death.

Source: The Star March 22, 2017 03:11 UTC