Cabo Delgado: Bishop warns against creating ‘industry of suffering’,calls for respect for human rights by foreign troops

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Cabo Delgado: Bishop warns against creating ‘industry of suffering’,calls for respect for human rights by foreign troops
Cabo Delgado: Bishop warns against creating ‘industry of suffering’,calls for respect for human rights by foreign troops

Africa-PressMozambique. The bishop of Pemba, António Juliasse Sandramo on Friday warned against the danger of creating “an industry of suffering” that “dissipates” humanitarian aid, calling for the channelling of aid to those in need.

“When there are situations of suffering, an industry of suffering can be created, which takes advantage of the suffering of the people,” he said.

The industry of suffering can be set up by humanitarian support organisations by setting up heavy operating structures that pay high salaries to their workers.

These entities can channel more resources to their machines than to the population in need, the bishop maintained.

He said that the priority should be to support the victims of armed violence in Cabo Delgado.

On the other hand, the availability of goods for humanitarian aid may also attract the temptation of misappropriation, in a country with endemic levels of corruption, he added.

“This risk [of misappropriation] exists, with the levels that we have of corruption, this leads us to the risk becoming greater,” he said.

Sandramo pointed out that the country should work to ensure that “the aid that is announced in the name of the displaced people of Cabo Delgado is truly aimed at alleviating the suffering of these people and nothing more than that.”

The bishop also called for respect for human rights by foreign troops deployed in the province, warning of the risk of worsening violence.

“The foreign military forces’ actions should be aimed at restoring peace and nothing more than that and should be carried out with respect for human life”.

He said that foreign military intervention should not result in the perpetuation of violence and abuses against the population.

“Our province of Cabo Delgado has entered a new cycle in relation to the violence we are living with the entry of foreign forces to support the defence and security forces”.

The Catholic Church, he continued, will follow the evolution of the situation, with confidence and prayer to God, for an end to the conflict.

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