By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters), Pope Francis has been forced to travel to two African countries for the July remark despite his knee pains that required him to use a cane or wheelchair.

On Saturday, the Vatican released a complete programme for July 2-7’s trip to South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo. Rumours circulated that the papal visit to Africa may be delayed. A June trip to Lebanon was also being considered.

Pope, aged 85, has undergone treatment for pain in his knees that is believed to have been caused by a torn or torn ligament.

According to the Vatican, the pace of the trip suggests that the Pope’s health will improve over the coming month. However, officials privately state that the pontiff likely will need a wheelchair for at least part of his time. It includes five flights, thousands of miles and more than a dozen speeches.

Francis will be spending four days in Democratic Republic of Congo visiting Kinshasa, the capital of the country, and Goma (in the restive east region).

Last year, the ambush that took place north of Goma resulted in the deaths of the Italian ambassador and his driver.

To combat armed groups waging war in the area, the government declared a state de facto siege of some provinces and put them under martial law. The ADF linked with Islamic State is one of them.

It also includes a meeting for victims of violence in eastern areas of the country.

Security concerns have repeatedly delayed the July 7-7 visit to Juba, South Sudan’s capital.

South Sudan is a predominantly Christian country. Francis, along with the Archbishop of Canterbury (and the Moderator of General Assembly of Church of Scotland) will make the South Sudan leg. The first such joint visit will include leaders of Roman Catholic and Anglican traditions.

July 11th marks the 11th year since South Sudan’s independence from Sudan. In 2013, civil war broke out, resulting in 400,000 deaths. Although the two major sides reached a peaceful settlement in 2018, hunger and violent clashes continue to plague this country, which is also one of the youngest countries on earth.

The 2018 South Sudan peace agreement has stopped the violence from that conflict, however analysts warn that there are still many unresolved issues such as the stalled reunification process of the army that could lead to a resurgence of war.

Francis received South Sudan’s opposition leaders in 2019 at a Vatican retreat. He knelt down and kissed them as he urged them to not return to war.