He went on to explain the kind of help the Vatican can offer in an effort to address the plight of the returnees and refugees following the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that has resulted in violence characterized by “horror scenes” and displacement of at least 4 million people.
“We can raise the attention and the interest of the international community towards your situation just to provide the means to solve your problems to go back to your places of origin in a very safe and dignified way,” the cardinal said. “I promise you, we will try to do so.”
He went on to extend Pope Francis’ closeness with the refugees and returnees he was addressing on Aug. 15, saying: “I am here also on behalf of the Holy Father to show to the people of Malakal and also to you, especially you that found yourself in such a difficult stressing situation, the solidarity of the Holy Father and the solidarity of the Catholic Church.”
“This solidarity is not empty-hand[ed] solidarity because the Catholic Church is committed to helping you in whatever way they can,” the Vatican secretary of state said. “This is the solidarity of the Holy Father; this is the solidarity of the universal Church; this is the solidarity of the local Church.”
“I am happy to know that the Church is not the only one that is helping you, taking care of you; there is the local government represented by the honorable governor, and there are international organizations who are helping you,” he continued.
“The best thing is that there is cooperation between different agencies,” he said. “I encourage this collaboration, this cooperation; it is very important because when we put our forces, maybe they are not so big, they are not powerful, but when we put [them] together, we achieve something better than when we act alone.”