AFRICA/CAMEROON - Insecurity caused by Boko Haram: The Church promotes a day of prayer

Yaounde (Agenzia Fides) - "We want to entrust Cameroon as well as all the other Countries in war to the Lord. The insecurity that is raging on the borders of Cameroon, in particular those with Nigeria, has created a psychosis in the population. In these situations, you must put yourself in the hands of the Almighty", said His Exc. Mgr. Samuel Kleda, Archbishop of Douala and President of the Episcopal Conference of Cameroon, in presenting the day of prayer for peace which will be held on Saturday, July 19. Throughout the Country processions will be organized which will conclude with the celebration of the Eucharist.
The Islamist Boko Haram sect has been raging for years in the northern states of Nigeria, particularly those of Borno, Yobe, Bauchi and Adamawa. In recent years, Boko Haram has begun to take action even in regions of Cameroon bordering Nigeria, in particular kidnapping nationals of European countries. Let us recall, among others, the kidnapping of Father Georges Vandenbeusch, a French Fidei Donum missionary kidnapped on November 13, 2013 and released on 31 December 2013 (see Fides 03/01/2014), and that of the Italian Fidei Donum priests, Father Gianantonio Allegri and Father Giampaolo Marta, kidnapped along with a Canadian religious, Sister Gilberte Bussier, on April 4 2014 and released on June 1 (see Fides 02/06/2014).
Another border at risk regards the Central African Republic, where the instability of the Country has pushed several hundreds of thousands of Central Africans to flock to Cameroon (see Fides 10/04/2014). (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 16/07/2014)