AFRICA/GUINEA - On the eve of the demonstration that turned bloody, Bishops launched appeal to everyone: “If the house of Guinea is set on fire, we will all be held accountable.”

Conakry (Agenzia Fides) – On September 23, shortly prior to the demonstration held yesterday, September 28 which later turned bloody, the Catholic Bishops of Guinea launched an appeal to all concerned, asking them to refrain from the use of violence. “We, pastors of the Catholic Church, ask everyone to carry out this demonstration in peace,” says a statement sent from the Guinean Bishops' Conference, dated September 23, to Agenzia Fides.
The Bishops specifically asked demonstration organizers (“may promoters place sufficient attention in organization so as to avoid any kind of disturbance and violence”) and police forces to “avoid every form of disproportionate repression and useless violence.” More in general, the Bishops' Conference launched “a solemn appeal to calm and reflection and to a common effort to establish peace. May no one wash their hands of the responsibility and may all be held accountable for the consequences of their actions. Because if the house of Guinea is set on fire, we will all be held accountable. And we will suffer the consequences with our women and children, our family members and friends.”
Recalling the recent tragic events in Guinea's history, the Bishops ask: “How many Guinean families are already mourning the death of one or more members provoked by human will? How many Guinean families are waiting for light on the tragic and inhumane loss of so many citizens? Isn't Guinea's soil already soaked with innocent blood?”
The Bishops also made an appeal to “our foreign friends, that they may truly seek the good of the country and not hidden economic interests. We ask those with roles of political and civil responsibility in the country not to let themselves be manipulated.”
The Bishops conclude: “The Catholic Church in Guinea are working, in conformity with their vocation, to pray and work for peace in Guinea. They reiterate their openness in exchanging ideas with men of good will in our country and from other places, for a return to true peace.” (LM) (Agenzia Fides 29/9/2009)