MAKENI, Sierra Leone, DEC. 16, 2002 (Zenit.org).- Bishop Giorgio Biguzzi of Makeni has sent a cry for peace from his west African home, long racked by war, to the “powerful of the earth.”
“From the South of the world, lacerated by wars all too often fomented by the greed of interests acting at a distance, I make an appeal for peace to the powerful of the earth, on behalf of our people here, in Sierra Leone, who for almost 10 years suffered the horrors of war,” Bishop Biguzzi said, through a message to Misna missionary agency.
He observed how his people “have lived years of terror characterized by deeds of blood, destruction, violation, violence against children, mutilations, sackings, masses of displaced and refugees.”
“Every [act of] violence was met by another, yet more cruel,” he said. “This infernal cycle was only broken when there was a determined will for dialogue.”
The bishop continued: “Now we enjoy a period of peace and confidence in the future. Fortified by this experience, we want to cry out our call for peace to President George W. Bush, to Western governments, to the Security Council, to the Israeli government, to terrorist groups.”
An 11-year-old conflict between the government and the Revolutionary United Front led to tens of thousands of death and the displacement of more than 2 million people, well over a third of the population. War was finally declared over earlier this year and peaceful elections were held in May.
