Visiting secretary of state at the Vatican City, Pietro Cardinal Parolin has called on Ambazonia separatist fighters to drop arms and embrace peace and reconciliation. The Pope’s envoy who was on a six day’s pilgrimage to Cameroon from January 28, 2021 to February 2,2021 also urged government to seek peace with Anglophones.
After an audience with president Paul Biya Pietro Cardinal Parolin was in Bamenda on Sunday January 31st where he decorated Archbishop Andrew Nkea with the Pallium. The pallium is a white woolen band with pendants in front and back worn over the chasuble by a pope or archbishop as a symbol of full Episcopal authority.
Archbishop Andrew Nken detailed the sufferings of those living in the crisis NW and SW regions. « The people of Bamenda have gone through a lot of suffering, displaced persons and others turned refugees, businesses shut down, our children denied education, many others killed, yet the church has not relented efforts to carry the message of the gospel as a light of hope. »
For his part the pope’s envoy insisted that dialogue remains the best way to solve conflict and misunderstanding. « Violence never solves problems, dialogue is the best way to solve conflicts and misunderstanding.” echoed His Eminence Pietro Cardinal Parolin.
In spite of a lockdown imposed by a faction of the Anglophone separatist movement thousands braved it to the Bamenda Metropolitan Cathedral to witness the occasion, attended amongst others by the minister of state, secretary general at the presidency Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh.
Mokun Njouny nelson