AFRICA/CENTRAL AFRICA - "The rainy season is approaching, emergency aid for displaced people is urgently needed" say religious leaders

Thursday, 20 March 2014

Bangui (Agenzia Fides) - "We are here to get everybody to hear the cry that comes from deep in the heart of the Central African people, who are experiencing the most tragic moments of their history. We can no longer remain without doing anything", said His Exc. Mgr. Dieudonné Nzapalainga, Archbishop of Bangui, at the Brookings Institution, a leading U.S. think-tank. Mgr. Nzapalainga is in Washington due to a visit that the Central Africans members of the "religious platform for peace" are carrying out in the U.S. to ask for an increase in international aid for their Country (see Fides 17/03/2014).
In particular, the Archbishop of Bangui said one needs to go beyond what the African and French missions in Central African Republic (MISCA and Sangaris) are doing and reiterated that "it is time to organize the UN peacekeeping operation".
The urgent need for a UN intervention was also emphasized by Pastor Nicolas Grékoyamé - Gbangou, President of the Evangelical Churches, who recalled how the rainy season is approaching. The displaced people have nothing to protect themselves with and this certainly will aggravate the situation, which is already very precarious.
The three representatives of the "religious platform for peace" were received at the State Department, at the National Security Council and at the Congress. Further meetings are planned with representatives of the World Bank and USAID (the U.S. agency for development aid)
The religious leaders have asked for assistance in the field of justice and for the fight against impunity and education. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 20/03/2014)


Share: