At 48th plenary session: Bishops raise alarm over rising extrajudicial killings!.

The bishops made public their worry in Yaounde Monday April 17. This was at the opening of the 48^th plenary session of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon, NECC.

The conference is taking place at the headquarters of the National Episcopal Conference in the nation’s capital. It is expected to end Friday April 22.

Baring the mind of his peers on certain developments within the polity of recent, the President of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon, His Grace Andrew Nkea Fuanya, Archbishop of Bamenda Archdiocese said the rate of extrajudicial killings in the country is worrying.

Archbishop Nkea said: “In the recent months we have been very saddened by the various extrajudicial killings that have taken place in our society. Top among which was the murder of the journalist, Martinez Zogo in Yaounde”.

To note that at least 52 Cameroonians especially women have been slaughtered to death under disturbing circumstances in different parts of the country recently.

‘Respect human life’

Archbishop Nkea restated the need to respect human life, indicating that: “The Bishops of Cameroon together with the universal Catholic Church have always called on all peoples to respect human life, which is a gift from God from the moment of conception to its natural death”.

To kill a human being, he declared “is a sin against the 5^th commandment of the Decalogue. And this commandment clearly states, Thou shall not kill”.

‘Identify killers of our fellow citizens’

He also expressed hope that, the powers that be would identity the killers and bring them to book. 

“It is our prayer and hope that the real killers of our fellow citizens in this country will be clearly identified and brought to book according to the laws of our country,” Nkea said.

‘Cameroonians, stop killing one another’

The Archbishop, on behalf of the Episcopal Conference, appealed to the national conscience, for citizens to stop killing one another. 

“We make a very strong appeal here to all Cameroonians, to stop killing one another. We are all brothers and sisters of the same fatherland children from the same God who is father of us all,” Nkea said. 

‘Our society suffering from multiple injustices’

Situating the importance of Christ’s death and resurrection as being “both crucial and central, to our history and our journey towards God”. Archbishop Nkea noted that: “Like the apostles on the day or after Easter, we have to proclaim Christ victorious over death to our society, marked by various sufferings”.

In the Cameroonian context, he mentioned “sociopolitical crises, agricultural difficulties, the lack of farm to market roads, repeated killings, the COVID-19 pandemic, high cost of living and other social injustices to name just a few”.

With abuses on the rise the world over, he cautioned that, “we must continue to bear witness to our faith in a world that seems to have lost its bearing”.

‘Efforts for peace in Cameroon not in vain’ 

The contributions of Bishops and the church for peace to return to all parts of Cameroon, the Episcopal Conference President stated, are yielding fruits.

“Our ongoing efforts for the return of peace in our country have not been in vain because despite the continuous threat from Boko Haram in the North and the prevailing insecurities in the North West and South West regions, we do not give up,” Nkea stated. He implored Christ, “the risen one to shower us with peace”.

‘Relative peace returning to NW, SW’

On the situation of things in the English-speaking regions, Archbishop Nkea said “relative peace calm is returning to the North West and South West regions. Some businesses are reopening and many children are going back to school. This is a great sign of hope but the situation of insecurity still remains very preoccupying”. 

‘Peace be with you’

Indicating that the first words of Jesus Christ after resurrection were ‘Peace be with you,’ Nkea said the declaration is more than needed in today’s Cameroon.

“This declaration is very relevant in present day Cameroon. I will like to greet the whole of Cameroon with the same words of the risen Christ, Peace be with you,” he proclaimed.

Other matters 

Discussions at the 48 plenary assembly would touch on reports from the 14 commissions of the episcopal conference. 

The Bishops would also be review issues discussed during their seminars in Bafang, Ngaoundere Obala, Bafang and Ebolowa.

While calling for concerted efforts to address challenges, Archbishop Nkea told his peers that “each of us must move from I to we; from just thinking about my diocese to thinking about our church, our conference”.

The President said everything is being done to improve the living conditions of priests serving at the national office of the episcopal conference. “We are trying to put up a befitting residence for them,” His Grace Nkea disclosed. 

Beyond planning to also improve the working conditions of commissions of the Conference, he thanked the Episcopal Commission for Communication for taking over the management of L’Effort Camerounais newspaper from the Douala Archdiocese. 

Archbishop Nkea said the church is hopeful that the now 16-page colour publication would regain its impact of the days of yore.