SECAM: Bishops in Africa call for joint effort in ensuring the stability and development of Africa.

Vatican News.

Below is the full statement released by Fridolin Besungu Cardinal Ambongo, the Archbishop of Kinshasa and President SECAM.

SECAM STATEMENT ON THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN THE SAHEL AND CENTRAL AFRICA.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God" (Matthew 5:9)

The Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) has learned with deep concern about the military takeover of Gabon in the early hours of August 30, 2023. SECAM is concerned by the fact that military interventions are now taking center stage, leading to political instability and fostering a climate of uncertainty regarding the future of the continent.

1.  A new deal on the continental scene?

Gabon's recent coup is just one in a series of military coups that have marked African history since the 1960s. However, it has to be said that coups d’état follows one another but are not alike. While during the post-independence period (1960s-1980s), coups d'état were part of a dynamic of power conquest with the aim of establishing dynasties, those carried out in the Sahel countries (Mali, Burkina, Niger) and in Gabon seem to have something in common, in the sense that, according to their proponents, their aim is to put an end to the system of predation and widespread corruption instituted by deposed regimes under the guise of a democracy supposedly meant to bring prosperity to African countries. It's true that Africa, which abounds in rich natural resources such as uranium in Niger and oil in Gabon, to name but a few, have the potential to achieve social and economic development for its populations. And yet, the reality shows that the continent is still confronted with endemic poverty, the cause of which is to be found in the system of "economic colonialism", to borrow an expression dear to Pope Francis. This raises the question of whether these coups d'état are part of a new continental and global geopolitical order.

2.  Elements of discernment for a rereading of recent events in Africa

As an organization bringing together the Bishops belonging to the Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar, SECAM cannot remain indifferent to what is happening on the Continent, and above all to the problems posed by violence, the impoverishment of the population and the misery that is rampant everywhere, social injustice, the exploitation of natural and mining resources by multinationals (with the complicity of certain African leaders). All these evils have already been denounced many times by the Catholic Church, and recently by Pope Francis during his apostolic visit to Kinshasa (January 31, 2023). Moreover, the Church has assumed its prophetic role in promoting justice, peace and fraternity in a democratic society that respects ethical values and, in particular, human dignity. With regard to democracy, which is still in its infancy: "The Church values the democratic system inasmuch as it ens'ures the participation of citizens in making political choices, guarantees 10 the governed the possibility both of electing and holding accountable those who govern them, and of replacing them through peaceful means when appropriate" (St John Paul Il, Centesimus annus, 1990, no. 46). Consequently, any power conquered by force is unethical; that's why, says St John Paul Il, "she [i.e., the Church] cannot encourage the formation of narrow ruling groups which usurp the power of the State for individual interests or for ideological ends " (Centesimus annus, no. 46; emphasis added).

There are certainly "situations whose injustice cries out to heaven ", and "great is the temptation io repel such insults to human dignity by violence ". Therefore, "we cannot fight a real evil at the cost of great misfortune " (St Paul VI, Populorum Progressio, n o 30). In short, the end does not justify the means. The Bishops of Gabon spoke of this violence in the post-electoral context, recalling that "we must avoid conflicts and violence in any form whatsoever", because "every human life is precious/' and that "one death is one death too many". Similar calls were earlier made by the Bishops of West Africa (RECOWA) in their statement following the military takeover in Niger that "violence does not solve any problem, not even the one that triggered it " and cautioned the African Union sub-regional not to use military intervention in resolving conflict as "terrorism already has a macabre toll of widows, orphans, displaced persons, the hungry, the maimed and so on. People are not expecting the regional, African and other institutions to add io this toll,

The fact that is striking when seeing the images broadcast on television and on different social media platforms is the enthusiasm aroused by the entry of the military, ready to eradicate the undeserved poverty from which the populations suffer. Here again, we ask ourselves the question of how far this movement, emerging outside a legal framework, can go; and yet, history has provided us with abundant examples of the attempt to perpetuate the transition, which is a denial of the promises kept by the actors of the coups.

Finally, we cannot help but evoke what Pope Francis said about populism in his Encyclical Fratelli Tutti. What is to be feared is that this populism will reactivate the old reflex of adopting an ideological alignment as in the days of the Cold War, and the consequence of such a reversal could be fatal for Africa, given the attraction of its mineral wealth to the great powers. We will not be surprised if the African populations remain the poor relations of development. It is crucial for

African countries to collaborate with one another to ensure stability across the continent. The African Union should encourage the exchange of ideas and resources among its member states to prevent getting trapped and becoming prisoners of rigid ideological alignments. After all, Africa possesses the necessary means and talented individuals to achieve its development goals.

3. Recommendations

•         We urge all stakeholders in the affected countries to come together, engage in constructive dialogue, and explore peaceful avenues to resolve the conflict.

•         We encourage all warring parties to consider the option of mediation and embrace the spirit of reconciliation, fostering understanding and healing among their people.

•         We call on the political and military leadership to respect and protect the human rights of their citizens throughout the conflict resolution process.

•         We call on the African Union to provide mediation and resources to facilitate the peaceful resolution of the conflict in all the affected countries in the continent.

•         We call on the international community to respect the common good of the citizenry where military coups have taken place and avoid imposing their will for selfish gains.

•         We call on all Christians on the continent and the surrounding islands to intensify prayer to God for an end to the conflict and for the return of peace and normalcy in the regions where conflict is being experienced on the continent.

We pray for peace to reign in Africa through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Queen of Peace.

(Signed: Fridolin Besungu Cardinal Ambongo - Archbishop of Kinshasa and President of SECAM)