Catholic Bishops in West Africa Urged to Build “bridges across every divide”, Foster Peace

The Nigerian President made reference to the unity enjoyed by members within the region, including the introduction of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), free passport, and said that the unity is “thwarted” by insecurity challenges.

“Our goals of unity and integration have always been thwarted not just by concerns of individual sovereignty of our nations but also by internal crisis and social conflicts in our nations and around the borders,” he said.

Highlighting some of the challenges in the Sahel region, President Buhari said that the region is passing through a season of considerable political, economic and social turmoil.

He said that the aftermath of COVID 19 crippled the economy in the region as the rate of unemployment increased, adding that the situation led to the deepening of poverty among the people.

Reflecting on the issue of coups in Africa since 2017, he said that there have been a total of 12 military coups in Africa and that half of them occurred in the year 2020 alone.

Historically, in times like these, President Buhari said in reference to military coups, “parochial prejudices are heightened and the fabric of cohesion becomes frayed as people retreat into ethnic, religious and other nativist camps.”

He explained, “Those that do not speak our language or subscribe to our faith come under great suspicion and they soon become scapegoats for all our challenges. And ethnic, religious and separatist conflicts are rife.”

The Nigerian President who has been at the helm of the country since 2015 said that once people start profiling each other based on religious or ethnic affiliations, and that “integrated peaceful and prosperous sub-regions seem almost impossible.” 

Delegates taking part in the May 2-9 RECOWA Plenary Assembly are expected to deliberate on Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter on human fraternity, and social friendship, Fratelli Tutti, and challenges facing the region in view of strategizing for “sustainable peace”.

Making reference to Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter, Fratelli Tutti, President Buhari underscored the need for “brotherhood and sustainable peace in West Africa.”

He said in reference to the Encyclical Letter, “Peace cannot reign in our region if it does not first reign in our communities and countries.”

The 79-year-old president added, “Fraternity and social friendship are the ways to build a better, more just and peaceful world with the commitment of all people and institutions.”

He said that the Encyclical Letter contains ideas that are worth not only in securing human unity but in securing peace and security. He added that the ideas contained therein offer hope and renewal, as needed in the region at the current time of despair.

“If every human being possesses an inalienable dignity, if all people are my brothers and sisters, and if the world truly belongs to everyone, then it matters little whether my neighbors were born in my country or elsewhere,” he said.

President Buhari congratulated the church for standing out as a powerful voice for ecumenism all over the world, and added, “Indeed, as people of faith, we look upon the diversity of our people as a gift of providence not as a cause of conflict.”

(Story continues below)

He continued, “By offering concrete prescriptions on building brotherhood and sustainable peace anywhere, the Encyclical Fratelli Tutti rightly takes the position that this is not merely the business of governments and political institutions; it must also be anchored on our civil societies of which the faith communities are an important constituency.”

The Nigerian President went on to congratulate the Catholic Church for establishing a reputation of speaking truth to government of the West African country “with the highest prophetic traditions”.

“Over the years, the Church has modeled profound approaches in challenging the impunity of some state actors and errant power,” he said.

He added, “My Lords, I believe the times also call for speaking to the growing numbers of violent non-state actors, some propagating genuine causes but with mindless violence often leading to the destruction of lives and property.”

President Buhari said that the conference that is slated to end May 9 can foster both moral and spiritual consensus with an aim of promoting integration.

He said in reference to the Catholic Social teachings, “in doing so, I believe we can also look to the idea of the common good which is perhaps the cornerstone of Catholic Social Teachings.”

“The common good consists of our shared values about what we owe one another as citizens who are bound together in the same society – the norms we voluntarily abide by, and the ideals we seek to achieve,” the Nigerian President said in reference to the Catholic social teachings.

He said that the love for one’s neighbor is the greatest foundation of faith, a moral foundation of social welfare, social security for the poor and vulnerable; “schemes that ensure that none is left behind, and that no citizen in these blessed West African nations needs to go to bed hungry.”

He added, “We must prioritize universal healthcare, while also ensuring free and compulsory basic education. And that we must create the environment for millions of young and restless people within our borders to find good paying jobs and live decent lives.”