Pope Francis on Sunday urged global leaders to work towards peace in conflict-affected regions, especially Sudan and northern Mozambique.
Speaking after the Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square, the Pope highlighted the negative impact of war and called for an end to hostilities.
“Wherever fighting occurs, people are exhausted, tired of war, which is pointless and inconclusive, bringing death, destruction, and never solving the problem,” said Pope Francis.
The Pope noted that Sudan has been in conflict for 10 months, leading to a humanitarian crisis. He asked the warring parties to stop the war that harmed people and the country’s future.
Ongoing clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have resulted in over 25 million people needing humanitarian aid, with eight million displaced, including 1.6 million fleeing to other countries, according to a Vatican News report.
Pope Francis also addressed violence in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado Region, where the Catholic mission of Our Lady of Africa in Mazeze was set on fire. He called for prayers for peace in the region.
The Pope extended his prayers to those suffering from conflict in Africa, Ukraine, and the Holy Land, stating that war is always a defeat. He emphasized the power of prayer and the need for commitment to peace.
Last week, France announced that it will host a humanitarian conference to provide aid to war-torn Sudan in April.
“We will host a humanitarian conference in Paris on April 15 for Sudan and neighboring countries to help resolve this dramatic humanitarian crisis,” said French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne. “It should not become a forgotten crisis.”
War that broke out in April last year between Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, his former deputy and commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, has killed thousands and sparked a humanitarian disaster.
Around 25 million people — more than half the population — need aid, including nearly 18 million who face acute food insecurity, according to UN numbers.
The fighting has caused 1.6 million people to flee abroad, many to neighboring Chad and Egypt, and displaced 6.1 million from their homes within the country, the United Nations says. The World Health Organization warned that the lean season during summer could trigger catastrophic levels of hunger. – with reports from Agence France-Presse
