(Archbishop of Lubango, Angola)
We all know about the wars in various African countries and we deplore this situation: Angola, Rwanda, Somalia, just to mention some. The belligerent do not tend towards common good and carry out horrible massacres perpetrating the destruction of structures which were built with huge sacrifices. Every day of war costs hundreds and, sometimes, thousands of cruel deaths without excluding mothers and children.
Weapons increase: bombs including chemical and incendiary bombs, long-range guns, supersonic fighter-bombers, mines, etc.
The leaders have become deaf and insensitive. From the whole of Africa, that even saved Christ from the fury of Herod, there are shouts and cries: they all repeat "Do not kill us any longer", because now humanly speaking all signs of hope are disappearing.
Having noticed that we all, Fathers of the Synod for Africa, feel the infernal situation of our countries and of neighbouring countries, I dare come up with a small proposal which I consider very important: that the African Synod ? as such and for the weight it bears ? implores those belligerent people to stop being hostile and says to the manufacturers and suppliers of weapons in a very clear and decisive way: we denounce your cynicism and your cruelty. stop supplying the Africans with weapons because they are killing each other. You are guilty of the atrocity of fratricidal wars: Africans do not make modern sophisticated weapons. You even go and choose the richer countries and the ones having more raw materials to go and stir up turmoil and conflict. The future will no doubt condemn you without pity. Immediately stop any further supply of weapons.
Original text: Portuguese
