President Salva Kiir and Vatican Charge de Affairs in Juba Ionut Paul meet on Friday. May 29, 2023. | Photo: Office of the President/Facebook

President Kiir has directed the Immigration Department to exempt missionaries working in South Sudan from paying for work permits.

The Minister of Presidential Affairs Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin said the directive is to ease the facilitation of the good work missionaries are doing in the country.

Dr. Marial made the statement after meeting Vatican Charge de Affairs in Juba Ambassador Ionut Paul Strejac on Friday.

“His (Ionut) visit was mainly bringing a personal letter from his holiness Pope Francis to His excellency president Salva Kiir Mayardit. Secondly, they both discussed the issue of the comings of the missionaries, sisters and priests who come here to South Sudan,” Marial said on nation television SSBC on Friday.

“They discussed that these people are coming to help the people of South Sudan and the president has directed to inform our immigration officers that these people have to exempted.”

Ambassador Ionut Paul was sent by Pope Francis to deliver a written papal message to President Kiir.

Ionut said The Holy Father would like to see full implementation of the peace process for the people to develop the country.

The Vatican diplomat praised the government for the good working relationship with the missionaries.