The territory of the new ANN Province covers the countries at the centre of the current international tensions, and the fear of an expansion of tensions throughout the Sahel area is also troubling the African Church. “Right now the situation is very delicate: as Salesians we wanted to open a new mission in Niger in September but now it has become impossible," the Salesian, born in Bahía Blanca, Argentina, but for over 30 years a missionary throughout West Africa, told Vatican News.
Fr Crisafulli then recalls that all the minorities in Niger live in a situation that was complicated even before the conflict and “that now is even more so.” “The presence of groups of Islamic extremists is an immense problem. The current Bishop of Niamey has closed all Church presences in rural areas due to extremists attacking villages.”
“He told us Salesians”, he adds “not to go to rural areas and that we could only open a mission in the capital.” The Salesian Provincial of ANN also reports that all borders with Niger are closed, transport hauliers are blocked and for migrants who want to reach the Mediterranean it is very dangerous to cross the border at this time.
There is also concern for Nigerians working in Niger, “we think they may be victims of attacks.” And the whole thing is complicated by “the presence of the Russian mercenary group Wagner and negative feelings towards Europe and France.”
Faced with the potential and concrete danger of a war with unpredictable outcomes, the Salesian observes that external powers “have only an economic and geopolitical interest. I do not believe they are interested in the people”, and probably “their aim is natural resources, uranium, gold…” The appeal of a Son of Don Bosco, on the other hand, can only be to “respect Africa's traditions, cultures and institutions”, because “cultural and economic neocolonialism is harmful” while there is “also something to be learned from Africa”
Ultimately, the Argentine missionary asks that every effort be made to avoid a fratricidal war between Africans and invites everyone to work together for peace, bringing the Salesians themselves into play: “We must build peace all together, military, political, religious leaders and ethnic groups (...) Don Bosco could be a means of pacification: Africa needs education first and foremost. And the Salesians with their schools can play a role of mediation and pacification. When people have received an education, they cannot be manipulated.”
