Viljoen maintained that the increasing military involvement from Western countries is only aggravating the situation in Mozambique, where a number of Western powers are pursuing their respective economic interests.
He said the world should listen to the cry of Mozambicans who are suffering both at the hands of the insurgents and of authorities who sometimes wage war against innocent civilians.
More in Middle East - Africa
“We are equal; foreigners and locals. Every life matters. As a Catholic organization, we believe that we are all created in God’s image,” Viljoen stressed.
DHPI Mozambique Project Manager Lelis Quintanilla said thousands of displaced families have already arrived in the port town of Pemba. Quintanilla’s work includes helping to receive these displaced persons.
“There are approximately 4,000 families arriving tonight at Pemba which makes approximately 20,000 persons, and they are going to be received with hot tea, cookies and water,” Quintanilla told ACI Africa on March 29.
“They will then be taken to the transit area and then assigned somewhere for their temporary housing,” she added.
For many of these people, the shock of fleeing a violent attack in their town is compounded by the uncertainty about friends and family back home.
“What we’ve heard is that there are a lot of people who haven’t gotten any news or heard anything from the rest of their family members, that they haven’t been able to locate them or hear from them,” Quintanilla said.
This article was originally published by CNA's sister agency, ACI Africa.
(Story continues below)
Subscribe to our daily newsletter
At Catholic News Agency, our team is committed to reporting the truth with courage, integrity, and fidelity to our faith. We provide news about the Church and the world, as seen through the teachings of the Catholic Church. When you subscribe to the CNA UPDATE, we'll send you a daily email with links to the news you need and, occasionally, breaking news.
As part of this free service you may receive occasional offers from us at EWTN News and EWTN. We won't rent or sell your information, and you can unsubscribe at any time.