“Stop all forms of violence, establish inclusive dialogue”: Guinean Prelate to Politicians

Talks of Guinea’s President Alpha Conde running for a third-term that has been seen as “taking advantage of a new constitution to circumvent a two-term limit on presidential mandates” has triggered protests in various parts of the country resulting in the loss of at least 30 lives, a report by Reuters News Agency published by Aljazeera indicates.

Members of the opposition boycotted the constitution, which was approved in March referendum.

On August 7,  the ruling party in Guinea, the Rally of the Guinean People (RPG), nominated President Conde to run for a third term, his supporters arguing that the constitutional change had canceled his two-term limit.

In his August 15 homily, Archbishop Coulibaly condemned “the numerous loss of human life as well as the injuries and destruction of public and private property recorded during the socio-political protests.”

He called on the competent authorities “to investigate the deaths in order to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice and to avoid making new victims.”

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“I beg the government and the opposition to put Guinea above all personal interests,” the 67-year-old Prelate said and urged officials of the ruling and opposition parties to put an “end to threatening, hurtful, degrading, and provocative words.”

He made known the Church leadership’s solidarity with and spiritual closeness to “our suffering people.”

“No injustice, no attack on peace, on life, on man's fundamental rights can remain indifferent in the Church's eyes,” the Local Ordinary of Conakry Archdiocese said.

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.