All sides must work for peace in Ivory Coast, pope says

Published: 2006-04-03

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- All sides must work for peace in Ivory Coast, and Catholics can help foster reconciliation in the country, Pope Benedict XVI told Ivorian bishops. "The way of peace is long and difficult, but it is never impossible," he told the visiting bishops April 3. An armed rebellion in September 2002 split this West African nation in two: a rebel-held North and the government-controlled South. The rebellion, which left thousands dead, was fueled by the simmering discontent of Muslims in the North who felt they were being discriminated against by the government. Peace talks and the presence of U.N. peacekeepers ended the fighting, but a reconciliation government has failed to reunite the country. The pope told the visiting bishops that he was fervently praying for Ivory Coast to rediscover unity and peace marked by "an authentic fraternity" among all citizens.

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