Afronline – The Voice Of Africa

The Chairman of the African Union (AU) Dr. Thomas Yayi Boni has condemned in no uncertain terms religious intolerance that have taken certain political undertones in Africa. He noted that most of the challenges confronting Africa are that of lack of respect for religious and political differences, good governance, democracy and free and fair elections.

All these issues, he noted, have contributed to the Arab Spring in some countries in North Africa. The same could be said in what is happening in Mali, Guinea Bissau and Nigeria among others.

Dr. Thomas Yayi Boni, who is also the President of Benin made these remarks when he received a delegation of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) in his office in Cotonou, Benin on Thursday, May 10, 2012.

He deployed the marginalization of Africa by the United Nations Security Council and the countries that form the G20. He pointed out that about 90 per cent of matters that are discussed by these and other bodies are often on or about Africa yet Africa is not part of the decision that are taken on her behalf.

To illustrate his point, he referred to the decision taken by the Security Council of the UN on the military intervention in Libya against the position of the African Union. This, he lamented, has resulted in the instability of North Africa thus affecting others Sub-Saharan African countries like Mali with the Touareg rebels and Nigeria with Boko Haram.

If the AU had been given the chance, he explained, it would have managed the situation in the way that could have avoided the situation we have at hand.

Regarding a request by SECAM, in his capacity as Chairman of the AU, for an Observer Status for SECAM at the AU, he said that taking into consideration the immense contribution that the Church for the development of Africa in terms of education, agriculture, health and in other socio-economic and political spheres, he saw no reason why such a legitimate request would not be given a positive response.

After all, the Church and the state, he stressed, are playing complementary roles in the integral development of the people of Africa. He therefore assured the delegation that he would get this request put on the Agenda of the next AU Summit that would take place in Malawi in July 2012.

On the call of SECAM for the promotion of peaceful, fair and transparent elections on the continent, he said that this was in consonance with the spirit of the AU.

Regarding SECAM’s Campaign for the ratification of the Africa Charter on Democracy, Elections and Good Governance by all African countries, he promised to appeal to his colleague Heads of State on the continent to ratify it.

He informed SECAM’s delegation that after the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Benin last November for the presentation of the Post Synodal Exhortation: Africae Munus, he informally shared the content of that document with them with particular reference to how to have a common stand on key issues such as Peace, Reconciliation, Good Governance of State, and Respect for Human Rights in Africa.

The SECAM delegation was led by Most Rev. Nicodème Anani BARRIGAH-BENISSAN, Bishop of Atakpamé, Episcopal Chairman of the Justice and Peace Commission of Togo, who represented Polycarp Cardinal Pengo, the President of SECAM.

The delegation congratulated President Yayi Boni on his election as Chairman of the AU and presented him a SECAM Solidarity Message on a number of issues such as Good Governance, Common Good and Democratic Transitions in Africa.

President Yayi Boni was also invited to preside over the Conference that is being jointly organised by SECAM, the Latin Ameriacn Bishops’ Conference (CELAM), Caritas Internationalis and the International Catholic Alliance of Development Organisations (CIDSE) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 20 to 22 June 2012 as part of the Church’s Advocacy for Sustainable Development.

Source: SECAM