Nairobi, 11 September, 2023 / 9:20 pm (ACI Africa).
The admission of the African Union (AU) to the Group of Twenty, the intergovernmental forum comprising 19 sovereign countries, the European Union (EU) popularly known as the G20, mirrors Pope Francis’ appeal for global justice, an African member of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) has said.
In a Sunday, September 10 statement shared with ACI Africa, Fr. Charles Chilufya weighs in on the September 9 decision to make AU a permanent member of the G20; the decision was made during the bloc’s summit in India’s capital city, New Delhi.
“The recent inclusion of Africa in the G20 is a reflection of Pope Francis' passionate plea for global justice, notably expressed in his Encyclical, Fratelli Tutti,” Fr. Chilufya says, making reference to Pope Francis’ Letter on Fraternity and Social Friendship, which he issued on 3 October 2020.
The Zambian-born Jesuit Priest, who serves as the Director of the Jesuits Justice Ecology Network Africa (JENA) says that the Jesuit entity he heads, and organizations that have been calling for justice and equity view AU’s admission to the G20 “as a pivotal moment.”
The admission of AU to the G20, the Nairobi-based Jesuit Priest further says, “is not only a nod to the continent's rising stature but also echoes the sentiments of many who believe in a more inclusive and just global order.”
