Along with family and the Community, there were many young people gathered in prayer yesterday in Abidjan around the body of Laurent Bathélémy. He was a 14-year-old young man who lost his life in the undercarriage of a plane from the Ivory Coast to Paris.
They came together in an embrace that has united Europe and Africa in recent weeks: beginning in Paris, where Youth for Peace had accompanied the departure of their peer's body, and arriving in Abidjan, where the Community of Sant'Egidio organized a solemn prayer before the body left for his village, which is near the city of Gagnoa and is located in the interior of the country. Hence, he was buried there.
Paying tribute to Laurent, who died in the hope of reaching his dream, Europe, there were many of his schoolmates and family members together with Sant'Egidio and the Jeunes pour la Paix.
The state also wanted to be present. Thus, the Minister of Transportation and other government representatives participated in the burial. This was an important signal because it was the first assumption of responsibility by the country's political authorities, which could open the way for more outstanding commitment toward the Ivorian youth.
After the prayer, there were moments of emotion for the final farewell to Laurent. There was even the hope that the tragedy could lead to a change of life for many people, as explained by the head of the Community, Georges Adon: "We will continue the conferences, which are entitled Don't waste your life. in the schools of Abidjan: Laurent's memory commits us to talk to young people, not only to explain the riskiness of the adventure of those who try the immigration route at any cost, but also how it is possible to build a livable and supportive future here on the African soil."
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