WYD: In Lisbon, young people from Pemba “have faith” that peace will return to Cabo Delgado

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WYD: In Lisbon, young people from Pemba “have faith” that peace will return to Cabo Delgado

1:13 CAT | 04 Aug 2023

Young Mozambicans from Cabo Delgado attend the World Youth Day, in Lisbon, Portugal. [Photo: RFI]

Mozambique is sending around 300 pilgrims to World Youth Day, which runs until August 6 in Lisbon, some of them young people from Pemba and surrounding villages in the province of Cabo Delgado, which has been plagued by terrorism for several years.

The four young people who spoke with RFI – Ernesto, Rodrigues, David and Esmênia – described World Youth Day as an opportunity to ask for peace for a region that seems to be vanishing from the news around the world.

“Peace is an indicator that everyone wants and this is our wish as young Mozambicans, specifically the young people who come from the province of Cabo Delgado. Since the Russian attacks, it has been felt that Cabo Delgado is not talked about much anymore, but we are still in a chaotic situation,” Ernesto explained.

Even if some of the population has returned home, David, who comes from Santa Cecilia de Ocua parish, says that the situation is still not completely safe.

“There are those who believe that the insurgents have stopped attacking, but, in fact, the insurgents continue with their actions. We are still at war. The insurgents have damaged a lot of things and we are lacking many things, like water, and many schools and churches have been destroyed,” he said.

A young woman from Pemba will have the opportunity to speak during the Youth Vigil on Saturday before the Pope, but for Rodrigues the essential request to make to the Holy Father is peace in the region.

“If there was an opportunity to speak with the Pope, it would be to ask for peace – for Mozambique, for Russia and Ukraine, for the whole world. An important perspective of this meeting is the exchange of experiences. We Africans feel that Europe is stable compared to Mozambique or other countries in Africa. The entire African continent deserves a call for attention, including with regard to development,” he declared.

Despite the difficulties, these young people from Pemba bring a message of hope and joy to share with other young Catholics, representing their families and their province in the Portuguese capital.

“What our families have shown us is that, even though we are in a chaotic situation, we try to show our joy, our hope, that we are all here together, that we have faith, regardless of the situation that our province faces, that one day peace will return to our region,” Ernesto concluded.

By Catarina Falcão

Source: RFI