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Catholic Priests in Guinea-Bissau Urge Government to Show Commitment in Fight against Drug Trafficking

Catholic Priests in Guinea-Bissau

By João Vissesse

Bissau, 03 July, 2024 / 8:38 pm (ACI Africa).

Catholic Priests in Guinea-Bissau have expressed concern about the surge in drug trafficking in the country and called on the government to show that it is committed to fighting the vice.

In a statement at the end of the General Assembly of Diocesan Priests in Guinea-Bissau, the Catholic Priests urged citizens to say “yes to life and no to death.”

“We as a Church are concerned about this drug situation because drugs destabilize the country, consume energy, and the country's economy, and are seen as an easy way to get rich,” the Catholic Priests said in the statement they shared with ACI Africa on Tuesday, July 2.

They added, “There are lives lost in this issue of drug trafficking, families taking care of orphaned children and if we look at this whole scenario, we will realize that drug trafficking causes instability in Guinea Bissau and a significant increase in transnational crime in the country.”

“We urge the authorities in Guinea Bissau to show commitment in the fight against drug trafficking quickly,” the Catholic Priests said in their message. 

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They continued, “There is a plan approved in 2019 on drug issues. Just apply it.”

The Catholic Priests also called on the international community to “continue supporting the country in the fight against the scourge of drug trafficking and organized crime.”

The Catholic Priests further said the Church has been implementing actions in schools to prevent drug trafficking and drug use. 

“The Church is concerned about the situation and we have a moral and civic education subject where we talk about preventing drug use and alcohol, which as we know is also a type of drug,” they said.

The Catholic Priests in Guinea-Bissau continued, “The Church is concerned and committed to educating people, especially children and young people, about the consequences of this evil on society.”

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“The fight against drug trafficking and the illicit trafficking of other products cannot be done with pens alone - we need to be equipped with the right tools,” the members of the Clergy in Guinea-Bissau’s Dioceses of Bissau and Bafata said.

They added, “As a Church do not advocate the use of violence to combat drugs, but rather awareness-raising and education, rather than confronting the traffickers who are practically powerless in the face of them.”  

João Vissesse

João Vissesse is an Angolan Journalist with a passion and rich experience in Catholic Church Communication and Media Apostolate. 

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