This year the "spirit of Assisi" has reached Abidjan during a pre- election period marked by violence, There have been demonstrations in several cities of the Ivory Coast which caused deaths and injuries.
On Sunday 25 October - just before the presidential election day - Christian leaders of various Churches and Muslim leaders cried out together “no one is saved alone” during a meeting in the headquarters of the Community of Sant’Egidio. The leaders of the Ivorian Imams, of the Episcopal Conference, representatives of the Archdiocese of Abidjan, of the Methodist, Baptist and other Christian denominations launched a message of "peace and fraternity" through speeches and prayers in communion with the International meeting held in Rome on 20 October.
The Apostolic Nuncio, Paolo Borgia, delivered the greeting of Pope Francis and read parts of the Pope’s address on 20 October.
At the end of the ceremony - held in compliance with Covid -19 prevention measures - all leaders lit the candelabra and signed an appeal for peace. It states the role religions can play dissociating themselves from any violence. The appeal also includes a commitment of the various religious denominations to intervene in case of an exploitation of religions or threat to places of worship in the upcoming days. The participants also called on political leaders to promote true reconciliation in the country. The appeal for peace will be consigned to representatives of the institutions and to political leaders.
