Pope Francis is set to leave DRC capital Kinshasa for Juba this afternoon. (Courtesy).

Pope Francis is due to depart Democratic Republic of Congo to South Sudan on Friday, where it is hoped that he will engage the leaders to restore lasting peace in the country.

The pontiff and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby will take the 6 hours of flight from Kinshasa to Juba for a three-day visit to promote peace and reconciliation in the war-torn country.

“This will be a historic visit. After centuries of division, leaders of three different parts of the Church are coming together in an unprecedented way,”Archbishop Welby told the BBC.

Eye Radio understands that the Moderator-General of the Scottish Church, the Right Reverend Dr. Iain Greenshield has already arrived in the capital Juba.

The arrival of Francis at 3 PM in the afternoon, will mark the first ever visit by a Pope to South Sudan since it gained independence from the North.

Immediately after he touches down in Juba, the pope will head to the Presidential Palace to meet President Salva Kiir, First Vice President Riek Machar, other vice presidents and diplomats, before retiring to his designated residence in the Vatican Embassy.

On the following days, the 86-year-old is expected to meet victims of the conflict, and church leaders before attending prayers and outdoor mass – where a large crowd is expected to see him.

The visit by Pope Francis was initially scheduled for 2022 but had to be postponed because of the pope’s problems with his knee.

Confined to a wheelchair, Francis is determined to make the Ecumenical Peace Pilgrimage, and has said that papacy requires a well-functioning heart and head – not a good knee.