Church works for reconciliation in strife-torn Ivory Coast

CWN - May 26, 2011

An estimated 3,000 people were killed and at least one million displaced in the recent post-election violence in Ivory Coast, according to the Fides news ageny. Laurent Gbagbo lost the November presidential election but clung to power until April.

“Our priority as a Church is the reconciliation of people,” says Father Alphonse N’Guessan, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies. “The violence has left much resentment in the population, as can be seen even from acts of vandalism committed by ordinary people. There are deep wounds in the soul of the people who should be treated.”

“Various economic activities have been destroyed or damaged and many people have lost their jobs,” he added. “This drama is multiplied by dozens of other people, since one salary is often used to maintain large families.”

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