AFRICA - Peace in Africa is above all a political challenge

Kara (Agenzia Fides) - "The Peace Forum, in the presence of African heads of State in Paris, is a great opportunity for our continent where rebellion and terrorism mix continuously, plunging the population into turmoil and sometimes extreme poverty extreme", says Ivorian theologian of the Society for African Missions Fr. Donald Zagore to Agenzia Fides.
"The Forum leads us to reflect on the need for a fundamental strategy to face the challenge of peace in order to achieve sustainable development. In Africa, wars are almost always political and economic. Politicians, at a national and international level, act mainly for their interests and to remain in power for a long time. As a result, this initiative cannot be fruitful if African and European political leaders do not focus on the good of the peoples of Africa".
"The wars in Africa are not triggered by the people but rather by politicians hungry for power and money", explains Zagore. "One cannot present oneself in the eyes of the world as apostles of peace worried about the well-being of African populations and at the same time finance revolts, support terrorism to destabilize countries in order to continually pillage resources", he denounced.
"Peace in Africa - notes the theologian - is above all a political challenge. Our politicians must first of all desire peace from the bottom of their hearts. Until, in the eyes of the African people, the actions of our politicians do not reflect their speeches on peace, this will remain only a vain word, because for the moment, as we read in the Old Testament to Psalm 61: with the mouth they bless, but in their hearts they curse".
The appointment of the Peace Forum was established last year by France on the occasion of the centenary of the end of the Great War. Now in its second edition, in 2019 it has as its central theme the defense of multilateralism in the face of the growth of "national selfishness". (DZ/AP) (Agenzia Fides, 13/11/2019)

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