AFRICA/SIERRA LEONE - “What prevailed was a desire for change, to forget the past” Catholic missionary comments election of Sierra Leone's new President

Wednesday, 19 September 2007

Freetown (Agenzia Fides)- “Following the tension of the final battle, the people of Sierra Leone expressed its joy and satisfaction for the results, which confirm a general desire for change compared with the past, to forget and start again” said Xaverian missionary Fr. Gerardo Caglioni, with years of experience in the country and the author of a History of the Evangelisation of Sierra Leone. The missionary was commenting the election of the new president of Sierra Leone Ernest Bai Koroma, leader of the main opposition All People’s Congress Party (APC) (see Fides 17 September 2007).
“The people of Sierra Leone wanted a change because the old administration in power for two consecutive mandates disappointed them with bad governance and partiality, favouring also religious sectors alternative to the Christian tradition of the British colony first and then of the State of Sierra Leone” the missionary said. “A desire to forget, because it was the returning party that led them to civil war, using the wrong men and means incapable of the task entrusted to them. Desire to forget the past and trust the new men of the party born anew from the ashes of war, hoping they can do something to improve the country”.
Fr. Gerardo explains the people's expectations: “Better life, with quality education, jobs for young people unemployed for too long, modernise the country with means of communications, electricity roads, public transport, health service to improve the standard of living and combat diffused contagious diseases, access to micro-credit, etc”.
“Something which cannot be renounced is the management of the country's immense riches to be used to improve the life of the national community” says Fr. Caglioni. “This means a firm hand to fight corruption, nepotism, using transparency in relations between occult power of tribal societies and political power exercised democratically by elected representatives of the people”.
“It will be necessary to establish a more fair and honest relationship with international partners, ready in word to help the people of Sierra Leone, but who in deed often look after their own political and economic interests in a shameful manner”.
“This” the missionary adds “will help guarantee a possible peace for Sierra Leone. What is this possible peace? To restore hope to people and make life a little less miserable and a little more just, because the country possesses the physical, intellectual and spiritual resources for a better society”.
“The local Catholic Church with its Bishops, has the task of urging the civil society to achieve these programmes, stimulating the Christian communities to be the conscience of the nation so it does not lose yet another opportunity for growth integral development in keeping with the demands of the Gospel. Otherwise the country will have to consider other non peaceful ways and may God save us from this wicked and horrible solution” concludes Fr. Caglioni. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 19/9/2007 righe 43 parole 580)


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