ETHIOPIA: Eritrean President’s Visit coincides with 19th AMECEA Plenary Assembly Opening Ceremony

The Chairman of AMECEA H.E. Cardinal Berhaneyesus D. Souraphiel, CM, has termed the coincidental visit of the President of Eritrea Isaiah Afwerk to Ethiopia at the beginning of AMECEA Plenary Assembly as an answered prayer of AMECEA Countries.

Speaking to AMECEA Online News, Cardinal Berhaneyesus who is also the chairman of Ethiopian Catholic Bishops Conference and Archbishop of Addis Ababa said that AMECEA faithful have been saying the Plenary prayer in each chapel, each parish and in each Cathedral all over the AMECEA Region for peace, reconciliation and unity in the AMECEA Region.

“We are happy to have this plenary here in Addis Ababa and so many have come. Each AMECEA Country, each conference is well represented and especially also our affiliate members Djibouti and Somalia; the Bishop is already here and we are expecting another delegate from CARITAS who works in Somalia,” he explained.

Sharing in the joy of Ethiopians who flooded the roads of Addis Ababa, the Capital City of Ethiopia carrying the flags of the two countries in a symbolic gesture of unity, Cardinal Berhaneyesus said that nine months ago AMECEA sent a High Delegation of Solidarity Team to visit Eritrea, and it is therefore a great joy seeing that reconciliation, peace, and unity among the people from the two countries is happening.

“The fact that this historic moment is happening exactly at the same time as our plenary Assembly meeting, is really surprising and indeed we are grateful to God,” said the Cardinal adding that before the visit of Eritrean president, the new Prime Minister of Ethiopia had been opening his arms to all the neighboring countries in the horn of Africa for peace and unity to work together.

“We feel very proud that it is the two leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea that through God’s grace have come to make peace, which is very important. They did not go to Europe, to China or to the United Nations or Africa Union to look for peace, they went among themselves and they are making peace at their own leadership level; this shows that Africans have wisdom to solve their own problems, and this has to be emphasized,” he said.

The chairman of AMECEA hopes that their brothers in South Sudan will be following the example set by the two leaders so that a lasting reconciliation, peace and unity may be found among the people of God.

“If the leaders from such countries that are currently witnessing conflict want, they only need to realize that they have the wisdom to solve their own problems; they can sit under the tree and talk; they do not need big conference centers or the five-star hotels,” cardinal Berhaneyesus recommended.

Although the Bishops from Eritrea have not yet arrived, Cardinal Berhaneyesus is hopeful that they will arrive anytime in the course of the plenary

~End~

By Pamela Adinda