EDITORIAL

What if we said: stop the guns, that’s enough!

It is undeniable that the proliferation and illicit trade of firearms are the cause of ever-increasing violence on a global scale. According to Amnesty International, an NGO specializing in the protection of human rights, more than 600 people die every day from firearms. Much of this has to do with the ease with which these weapons are accessible, whether legally or illegally. This scourge affects many regions including the United States and even Canada. No nation can escape its devastating effects.

This calamity affects Africa most dramatically. In recent years, Libya, the Sahel, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and especially South Sudan have faced tragedies caused by the abusive use of small arms and light weapons. The war left hundreds of thousands of dead there. A considerable number of people must flee war zones and become displaced or refugees within their own country. This disaster hinders social and economic progress. The protection of property and people is no longer ensured during armed conflicts.

This issue of La Lettre aux amis echoes this sad reality of the destructive and disproportionate violence plaguing South Sudan. Three of ours are there on mission in the diocese of Malakal where they endure every day, with their Christians, the anxieties of war. We show them our fraternal support and invite all our readers to show solidarity with them.

BARTHÉLÉMY BAZÉMO, M.Afr