Sun 23 Apr 2023:
Pope Francis on Sunday repeated his calls for an end to hostilities in Sudan, which have already spilled into a second week, urging the flock to pray for the people of the northeast African nation.
“Unfortunately, the situation in Sudan remains grave, and therefore I renew my appeal for an end to the violence as soon as possible and for a return to the path of dialogue. I invite everyone to pray for our Sudanese brothers and sisters,” the pontiff said at the end of his Sunday prayer.
Last Sunday, Pope Francis also expressed his concerns over the events unfolding in Sudan, while calling for a prayer “so that they might lay down their arms, and pick up the path of peace and harmony.”
Francis also said he was due to travel to Hungary on Friday to finish a journey made in 2021 for the International Eucharistic Congress. “It will also be a journey to the center of Europe, over which icy winds of war continue to blow,” continued the Pope, reminding the faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square “not to forget our Ukrainian brothers and sisters who are still afflicted by this war”.
“The movement of so many people places urgent humanitarian issues on the agenda,” he added. Referring to Earth Day on Saturday, the Pope said he hoped that “the commitment to the care for creation will always be united with real solidarity with the poorest people”.
On April 15, violent clashes broke out between the Sudanese regular army and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, with the epicenter in Khartoum. Government forces accused the RSF of mutiny and launched airstrikes against their bases. Abdel Fattah Burhan, the head of the Sudanese military, issued a decree disbanding the RSF. The sides have agreed to a three-day truce starting Friday for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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