Our eyes are fixed on the Cross of Christ for peace in the Sahel

Françoise Niamien - Vatican City.

The parishioner of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Niamey, the capital of Niger, Salomom André Mehoua, said he is living the Easter triduum in prayer for peace and security in his country and in the Sahel.

Insecurity, drought and desertification

The Nigerien Catholic hopes that the resurrection of Christ will be a source of hope and liberation in this West African country plagued by terrorism and political instability for years.

Deadly jihadist attacks in the so-called “three borders” zone of Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali have resulted in deteriorating security over the last twenty years, further aggravating the socio-economic vulnerabilities of the people.

According to UN agencies, Niger is also currently affected by the worst food security crisis of this decade caused by consecutive failed rainy seasons and decades of increasing desertification of the Sahel.

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Niamey.

Displaced from parishes

“We are living this Easter in a situation of insecurity due to terrorist attacks,” said André Mehou. “For Lent 2023, my Lenten season thoughts have been focused on prayer and fasting for a return to peace in our country and region,” he added.

“At the heart of this Holy Week, I keep my eyes fixed on the Lord who, on the Cross, bore the pain of the world. I pray that he will bear the pain of all those people bereaved by terrorism, who suffer in the world because of war,” he said.

In his prayers, Mehou also has a special thought for Christians who have been forced away from their homes, displaced and will not be able to celebrate Easter in their parishes. He has in mind many regions of the Sahel where priests and Christians have been forced to abandon their homes and parishes.