The Symposium of the Episcopal Conference of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) (www.SECAM.org) convened a central seminar on “Conflicts in Africa in the context of the exploitation of natural and mineral resources” from March 8 to 10, 2024, in Accra, Ghana. This important event brought together about forty participants, including bishops, priests and lay Catholics, to discuss the critical relationship between the exploitation of natural resources and conflicts in African continent.
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Over the course of three days, attendees engaged in meaningful discussions covering a range of relevant topics, including the exploitation of mines and other natural resources in Africa, theological considerations, legal frameworks and regulations, the Church’s engagement in this area, advocacy initiatives , as well as strategies for future efforts aimed at addressing the multifaceted challenges associated with these situations, particularly conflicts and their consequences resulting from the exploitation of natural resources.
The participants unanimously echoed the prophetic message delivered by His Holiness Pope Francis during his apostolic journey to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan from January 31 to February 5, 2023. In his impassioned appeal, Pope Francis pleaded: “Hands off Africa! Stop suffocating Africa: it is not a mine to be stripped or a ground to be plundered. May Africa be the protagonist of its destiny! May Africa, the smile and hope of the world, count more. May is said more often and has more weight and prestige among nations!”
Most Reverend Fridolin Cardinal Ambongo, Archbishop of Kinshasa and President of SECAM, highlighted the paradoxical scenario where significant foreign investments in oil, gas, mining and natural resources fail to adequately benefit the continent’s local populations. Cardinal Ambongo emphasized the urgent need for the Church in Africa to adopt a pastoral approach to integrated ecology and ecological transformation based on its social doctrine, particularly in relation to extractive industries.
Participants coming from different regions of Africa and beyond identified key challenges related to the extraction and exploitation of natural resources on the continent. They also exchanged experiences on the Church’s existing responses to these challenges in some Episcopal Conferences and regions around the world. Various situations across the continent were scrutinized, leading to the formulation of practical proposals aimed at promoting a better future for believers of all denominations, religious communities and the population at large.
Notable among these proposals is advocacy for the establishment of a Continental Day of Prayer and Solidarity in Africa to highlight specific issues in individual countries and amplify the voices of the marginalized. In addition, there is a call for enhanced education on integrated ecology, as well as increased involvement of legal and media professionals in monitoring natural resource exploitation and advocacy efforts.
The Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, a key partner and participant in this seminar, urged the Church in Africa to strengthen its commitment to addressing issues that perpetuate enormous suffering, such as conflict and forced displacement of populations.
As emphasized by the SECAM President, the primary objective is to ensure that Africa’s abundant resources contribute to economic growth, benefit the majority of its population, promote peace and alleviate poverty. Most Reverend Matthew K. Gyamfi, Bishop of Sunyani (Ghana) and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ghana, echoed this sentiment in his welcome address, affirming the importance of the seminar’s focus in light of prevailing conditions across the continent and within Church.
This seminar is organized by SECAM in collaboration and with the support of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Misereor, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Mosaiko Institute for Citizenship, Center d’Etudes pour l’Action Sociale (CEPAS), Denis Hurley Peace Institute (DPHI), University of Notre Dame Catholic Peace Network.
SECAM expresses its heartfelt gratitude to all partners and participants who have shown unwavering commitment to turn the outcomes of this seminar into tangible actions.
Rev. Rafael Simbine Junior,
General Secretary of SEKAM
Distributed by the APO Group on behalf of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM).