Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Yaoundé (Agenzia Fides) - "The closing of borders is not the solution to Ebola", says the final communiqué of the annual coordination meeting of the Symposium of the Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM/SCEAM) which was held from October 15 to 18 in Doula, Cameroon. In the statement, sent to Fides, what is highlighted is the suffering of the people of African Countries affected by hemorrhagic fever and the necessity to be "inventive" in the search for solutions.
Another issue raised by the press is that of democracy in Africa, noting that "the refusal of democratic turnover and lack of respect for the law are fundamental causes of tensions and situations of disorder in several African countries". We therefore make an appeal so that "the observance of the Constitution and democratic turnover are respected, which is the basis of any sustainable development"
A development that can be made possible, says the document, from the proper exploitation of African natural resources. SECAM therefore commends the international initiative for transparency in the extractive industries (ITIE), and recommends that all African states take part and exert strict controls on the distributions of mining income. It also emphasizes the need to open a liaison office with the African Union in Addis Ababa.
The statement concludes with the announcement of a Congress of the "Justice and Peace" Committees in Africa to be held in March 2015 in Namibia, on the theme of integral human development. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 22/10/2014)
