Pope arrives in Central African Republic with message of peace

Pope Francis will leave Uganda on Sunday for the Central African Republic, which has been gripped by cycles of violence and lawlessness that has pitted mostly Muslim rebels against Christian militias since 2013.

The pontiff wrapped up his two-day visit to Uganda, flying out at around 0645 GMT on Sunday, a day after huge crowds celebrated as Francis honoured Christians martyred for the faith on the second leg of his first trip to Africa, which he dubbed “the continent of hope”.

Performers wear traditional tribal clothings poses before Pope Francis’ arrives at Kololo Air strip for a meeting with youths in Kampala, Uganda, November 28, 2015.

Francis issued the appeal from the altar of Bangui’s cathedral after arriving in the badly-divided capital on the final leg of his three-nation African tour.

As part of his trip, the pope plans to visit a displacement camp where Christians have sought refuge.

Thousands of people lined his motorcade route, cheering even as the press busses passed by, escorted by United Nations troops.

Welcoming Francis at the presidential palace, President Catherine Samba-Panza thanked him for his “lesson in courage” in simply coming, saying his presence showed the “victory of faith over fear”. The pope’s Alitalia charter landed just beyond the settlement for displaced residents that has cropped up on the airport’s edge, housing some of the people displaced by the violence. While sectarian clashes have left at least 100 people dead over the last two months, in recent days Bangui has been relatively free of gunfire.

Church officials, however, have given assurances that the visit will go ahead.

“Certainly, you can’t exclude that a saboteur might try to disrupt the calm, but we’re ready to respond in the most efficient way possible”, Onanga-Anyanga said.

Catholic faithful from neighbouring war-torn South Sudan were also there after travelling for 12 hours by bus to catch a glimpse of the Argentine pope, who has made humility and help for the poor a hallmark of his tenure. “We hope the visit of the pope will change things for the better”.

“I asked myself, before God, is it true what the French said that they didn’t have the capacity to secure the pope’s visit”, said Arlette Tanga, a volunteer who cares for those wounded in the inter-religious conflict.

The Mass marks the 50th anniversary of the martyrs’ canonisation. Muslims and Christians have since split into segregated communities.