DOUALA, MAY 22, 2018 (CISA)-Catholic Bishops in Cameroon have called on the warring groups in the country to put down arms and seek peace in order to avoid a possible catastrophe.
In a letter dated May 16, addressed to the Cameroonian people, the president of the bishops’ conference and Archbishop of Douala, Archbishop Samuel Kleda said, “Let us stop all forms of violence, and let us stop killing each other… Let us spare our country, Cameroon, an unnecessary and baseless civil war.”
“We, the Bishops of Cameroon, believe that there is urgent need for mediation as a way of getting out of the crisis,” the letter added.
The bishops expressed worry over the difficult conditions under which, the Northwest and Southwest regions have been living, since 2016 describing it as “… marked by inhuman, blind and monstrous violence and the radicalization of the population,” reported CRUX.
They urged Cameroonians to pray for divine intervention noting that divine intervention will be needed for any peace to be built.
According to Agenzia Fides, Caritas Cameroon is currently the only relief agency operating in the severely affected English-speaking areas of south western and north western Cameroon supplying much-needed food, water, medical supplies and shelter.
They have lamented that their aid is not enough and they need much more support to cater for the affected people.
The latest skirmishes in the country were witnessed as Cameroon celebrated its National Day on May 20, violent confrontations between separatists and government forces in the country’s Northwest region left at least five civilians and one soldier dead.
Reports by Caritas Mamfe state that, hardly a day goes by without reports of people being killed, houses torched and people displaced from their homes in the areas worst affected by the unrest. The Catholic charity organization estimates that at least 150 people, including 64 civilians, have been killed since the uprising started in October 2016.
