WORLD

Guinea-Bissau Bishops call for peace and security

The Bishops of Guinea-Bissau appeal to the new government to guarantee peace and national security, to bring the country out of the crisis into which it has fallen in recent years.

By Vatican News

In 2015, the government of Guinea-Bissau was dissolved because of disagreements between the President and office of the Prime Minister. Since then, this West African nation has had to deal with being in a state of constant political instability.

The common good

The Bishop of the capital city of Bissau, recently stressed the need for Guinean politicians to concentrate on the common good. "Only those who are animated by a patriotic spirit should continue to engage in politics”, said Bishop Camnate Na Bissign, “not those who simply think of solving their personal problems." Speaking to a local Catholic broadcaster, "Radio Sol Mansi", he said the people of Guinea-Bissau deserve peace, stability, and security. The Bishop recalled how the Guinean people expressed their choice during the March 10 election. Now it is up to those elected to fulfil their promises, he said.

The role of women

In a separate interview with the same radio station, the Bishop of Bafatá, Pedro Carlos Zilli, expressed his confidence in the new government, “not least because it has integrated a significant number of women”, he said. “We hope they will be able to act for the good of the country”, he added. Bishop Zilli also called for a constructive dialogue between the government majority and opposition groups in order to consolidate democracy.

Development and solidarity

In view of the March elections, the Bishops’ Conference of Guinea-Bissau published a message entitled: "The future of the nation is in free and conscious voting". In the document, the Bishops urged the community to look with hope to the future of the country. They expressed their awareness of the challenges facing Guinea-Bissau, including increasing poverty, shortcomings in the areas of healthcare and education, as well as distrust in institutions. Hence their call to promote “the common good", with the help of what the Bishops call: "Policies that focus on the integral development of the human person", and on "solidarity" between generations.

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