The notion of dialogue to help diffuse the impending security concerns in Ground Zero has once again been brought to the limelight by another Catholic clergy.
Speaking to the BBC Focus on Africa and examined by BaretaNews, Andrew Nkea, the Bishop of Mamfe Diocese in the Southern Zone reiterated the urgent need for dialogue as a necessary tool to bring back calm and tranquility saving both sides from what he calls a ”useless and senseless” civil war.
His Lordship had a lengthy discussion surrounding the challenging experiences faced by his colleagues of the cloak during a recent tour of places that have razed down by La Republique’s forces in some localities of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia.
Bishop Nkea was keen in observing by his own words that ”One of the main things we are stressing is that violence only breeds violence, but if we start talking to each other, we may arrive at a middle point where there will be peace and that is what we want, we want a peaceful resolution to the conflict.”
He also added that ”And this can only come through dialogue, some form of reconciliation, some form of discussion that will bring all the warring parties to save this country from what we call a useless and senseless civil war”.
The whole of Ambazonia is presently under siege by colonial forces of the occupying government. There are sporadic cases of pushing back by restoration forces battling with LRC soldiers. Since October of last year, the proclamation, and restoration of the Southern Cameroons statehood was met with brute force and heavy clampdown against leaves-wielding civilians. The killings, arbitrary arrests, burning down of houses and abductions have pushed the good people of Ambazonia to defend themselves from such excesses.
The Catholic church has been identified by International Crisis Group as a viable mediator to help resolve the conflict between the government of La Republique and the Interim Government of Ambazonia. In its April report, the group wrote a piece opining on how the Catholic Church behind one strong voice could clamour for dialogue and come across as possible peacemakers.
Neba Benson,
BaretaNews Foreign Correspondent/Analyst
1 comment
The clergy in Lrc or Ambazonia is more of a profession than a call to serve.Why was the church silent during the slaughter of 22nd September and 1st October.Their Cash cows have just waken from slumber, maybe most people don’t know that the Catholic Church makes it’s highest income from the Anglophones minority.As the crisis persist their luxurious life styles are being threaten and now they are calling for peace.Where was this same clergy when we were just asking to be heard.I wld like to Alert the AIG to understand that Nkleada is a personal friend of the chief butcher of Ambazonian BETI ASOMO and the regime is just trying to buy time to rearm itself to continue their genocide.I suggest we instead intensity our efforts to force the regime to leave with a humiliating defeat.