« It is with great joy that I am writing to you. On the 10th of October, 27 hostages amongst whom 10 Chinese abducted in Waza and 17 Cameroonians abducted in Kolofata, were released by their kidnappers to the Cameroonian authorities on the 27th of July of the current year. Among the abducted persons were the wife of the Vice Prime Minister of Cameroon and members, several kids, of the family of the “Lamido” who also doubles as the Mayor of the town of Kolofata”.
Though the event that led to the release of the abducted brought about a very significant relief, however, the sadness caused by the fatal attack of the previous Wednesday by the group which cost the lives of some 18 civilians and a military in the vicinity of Kerawa (about 40kms from our habitation) still remains. As if that was not enough, a rocket was thrown last week which abruptly and prematurely brought to an end the lives of 9 other persons within the market of Amchide: a place I’ve often, in my correspondences, spoken to you about.
All those happened after a very sad event of which you might have certainly heard; It is about the death of a very dear friend, Luc BERKE, a lay man saddled with the responsibility to take care of a parish-district of Ldubam-Tourou, a locality which is not far from the Nigerian border. Luc was coldly killed by the Boko Haram group while he was returning, with a friend, from a village which falls within the jurisdiction of his Parish-district where he went to pray with his fellow parishioners. That gruesome massacre ended the lives of about 30 persons.
Luc was a person who was very committed to the cause of Justice and Peace. He decided, with his wife Esther, to, despite the menace and dangers, stay with and around his “parishioners” in faithfulness to Him who tells us that there is no such great love as to give one’s life for his friends. He left behind a very big family of 10 children and 3 others who were adopted of which the eldest has just got enrolled into the University.
That which impresses me is that, just like Luc, other parish-districts’ administrators who also serve in the same context of being near the Nigerian borders, have all decided to stay-put and to continue their work of preaching the Gospel in full consciousness of the looming dangers.
I see a great sign of hope in the horizon in this that there is a rising progress of unambiguous condemnations from the muslim umma in the world over of those acts which, in themselves, depict Islam as a dirty belief.
It is never too late to do good and to speak the truth…. The truth which is that God wills that we all are brothers of a one big, united family…. Each of us, wherever he/she is and whatever his (religious) inclinations may be, is invited to contribute to his/her own quota in the edification of togetherness. This is what we are trying hard to achieve with our very little resources”.
We will not be deterred nor will we be discouraged by the violence! The attacks of Boko-Haram are not exclusively against the Christians, but against everyone who strives to promote Man and who refuses to be thrown into religious obscurantism. It is for this reason therefore that we, Christians, are in the frontline. It is necessary that we continue our battle, in collaboration with all our brothers no matter their religious confessions, for Man to be on his feet.
Grégoire CADOR (extracts of the letter to friends of the 11th of October 2014)
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