He Kissed Their Feet for Peace, But Pope Francis Leaves South Sudan’s Hope in Limbo

In April 2019, Pope Francis stunned the world with a dramatic plea for peace in South Sudan by kneeling to kiss the feet of President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar.

The act, which took place during a spiritual retreat at the Vatican, was meant to encourage the two rivals to honour a fragile peace agreement and move the country away from a cycle of civil war that had already claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.

In the wake of the Pope’s death, President Kiir paid tribute to him as a “beacon of hope, compassion, and unity” whose devotion to South Sudan's peace left an indelible mark.

Recalling the 2019 moment, Kiir described it as a “turning point” that deeply moved the country’s leadership and reinforced their commitment to the 2018 peace accord.

The Pope, then battling chronic leg pain, had chosen a gesture of humility that reverberated across a nation where the majority of the population identifies as Christian.

However, six years after that extraordinary moment, the Pope has passed away, leaving behind a South Sudan that appears to be further unravelling.

Riek Machar was placed under house arrest in March 2025, accused of inciting rebellion — a move that has been widely condemned as politically motivated.

The fallout between Kiir and Machar has deepened, threatening to undo years of fragile progress and reigniting fears of a return to conflict.

Since its independence in 2011, South Sudan has endured repeated cycles of civil strife, with over 400,000 people killed and millions displaced.

The 2018 revitalised peace agreement was seen as a critical turning point, but implementation has lagged. Promised reforms in governance, security, and economic justice remain elusive, and elections have been repeatedly postponed.

In February this year, the transitional government’s term was extended yet again, pushing long-awaited national elections further down the road and deepening public frustration.

In 2023, Pope Francis fulfilled a long-standing promise to visit South Sudan in person, travelling alongside the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland in a rare ecumenical pilgrimage.

Addressing leaders in Juba, he pleaded, “No more bloodshed, no more conflicts, no more violence... It is time to build!”

Kiir credited that visit with influencing his decision to resume peace talks with rebel groups, describing the Pope’s words as a moral call to action.

Faith leaders, including the South Sudan Council of Churches, have also mourned Pope Francis’s passing, recalling both his 2019 gesture and his 2023 visit as profound appeals for reconciliation.

They praised his tireless efforts to heal divisions, urging the current leadership to honour the legacy he left behind.

As the nation marks the Pope’s death, many South Sudanese are reflecting on how far the country has drifted from the spirit of unity he championed.

For them, the image of a frail pontiff bending to kiss the feet of warring leaders remains a symbol of humility and hope — and a reminder of the unfinished work of peace.

Pope Francis’s iconic 2019 gesture of kissing the feet of South Sudan’s leaders in a desperate plea for peace has faded into history. His death now leaves the nation in even deeper division, with tensions escalating and hopes of reconciliation hanging by a thread.