Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Monrovia (Fides Service)- “Our aim was to heal divisions caused by last week’s clashes (see Fides 30 October 2004)” SMA Provincial Father Mauro Armanino told Fides with regard to an interreligious meeting on November 3 in Monrovia, capital of Liberia. “We were all together about a hundred, Muslim leaders and leaders of the different Christian confessions. Everyone agreed that religion is not the main cause of present tension in Liberia and said they were committed to working to restore peace” the missionary told Fides.
“However the atmosphere of the meeting was tense. Many of those present had been personally affected by the violence of the past days and had seen their homes, church or mosque destroyed. The sight of people applauding as the country’s main Islamic school went up in flames will not be easy to forget,” Father Armanino. “There are surely other motivations behind the conflict in Liberia but undoubtedly religion is a cause of tension. For many years Liberians were those who were Christian, spoke English and had been to school. This definition excluded the Muslim part of the population, such as the Mandingo for example. Today we need to lay the basis for a new understanding of citizenship to include those which the old pattern excluded. It will take time, but the interreligious meeting was a first step in the right direction” the missionary told Fides.
The curfew imposed after clashes in Monrovia last week is still in place. “The curfew will probably be lifted next week when schools and universities which had suspended lessons because of the violence will re-open” Father Armanino told Fides.
Meanwhile Liberia is also affected by fighting in its neighbour country Ivory Coast. “It is known that both the army and the rebels in Ivory Coast have hired Liberian mercenaries” Father Armanino told Fides. For some time arms have been passing from Liberia to Ivory Coast where the UN peacekeepers paid 900 dollars to people who handed in weapons compared to the 300 dollars offered in Liberia (see Fides Dossier on arms in Africa, 24 July 2004). “In my opinion the disarmament programme in Liberia failed. The total number of weapons handed in was 26,000 when everyone knows there are millions circulating in the country. At times I wonder if the sole aim of these policies is to prolong the state of independence of whole countries on international organisations”.
During a solemn ceremony on 3 November the commanders of the three factions which fought the civil war handed over their weapons to UN peacekeepers, signing the final act of the process of disarmament in Liberia . (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 6/11/2004 righe 38 parole 416)
