The bishop of the diocese of Ziguinchor, Monsignor Jean-Baptiste Valter Manga, who celebrated Christmas mass yesterday in Kaguite, did not fail to pray for peace of hearts. Without this peace, the inhabitants of Casamance will have difficulty getting rid of the tarnished image that some have of them.
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those whom he loves.” This is the joyful cry of Christmas. Yesterday, the Catholic faithful of the village of Kaguite, in the commune of Nyassia, celebrated the Nativity of the divine Messiah with joy and joy, in the presence of their Pastor. Recently ordained bishop of the diocese of Ziguinchor, Mgr Jean-Baptiste Valter Manga chose to go to the other end of his diocese, to meet his flock, in the forests behind the village of Etafoune. He was welcomed by his diocesan family, including a young and dynamic choir. It was in Kaguite, a few steps from the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, that Mgr Manga went to celebrate with the inhabitants the coming of the only son of God, who came into this world to save humanity. It was his first official outing as bishop of Ziguinchor to celebrate Christmas mass outside the urban territory. A symbolic choice, because Kaguite is one of the villages in Casamance which were hard hit by the armed conflict. Mgr Jean-Baptiste Valter Manga believes that the people of Kaguite deserve to live in joy and above all peace.
This Wednesday, during the Eucharistic celebration, which began at 10:45 a.m. and ended at 1:20 p.m., the pastor of Ziguinchor, in his homily, underlined the need to cultivate forgiveness to find the peace so desired in Casamance. “My prayer this morning, here in Kaguite, is that all these young people grow up in peace. 42 years of conflict is enough now. It takes a time to make peace and that time has arrived. This time of peace is given to us by God himself,” he preached. Mgr Jean-Baptiste Valter Manga recalled that Christmas time symbolizes the joy of hearts, because it is God who visits us through his only son. He also recommended to the faithful and all the populations of Casamance to never stop praying and giving thanks to God, without whom nothing is possible. “God has already given us this time of peace. It is up to us all to make this peace reign in our hearts by cultivating more forgiveness. Without forgiveness, we will not obtain this peace,” he added.
Repairing the image of Casamance
Casamance, plunged into armed conflict since the early 1980s, has gone through periods of violence. Its image suffered and, over time, the region had to recover, gradually regaining its smile. Ordained bishop on November 23, 2024, Mgr Jean-Baptiste Valter Manga also considers that one of his missions is to repair the image of Casamance. The Pastor, who is responsible for the entire Catholic community of Ziguinchor, affirms that he will follow this logic through to the end. “Casamance is not a violent territory. This region is often seen as violent. Many people are afraid to come here, because they imagine that Casamance is always a place of violence. I can assure them that this is not the case. I came to repair the image of our Casamance. And it is possible,” declared Mgr Manga in front of the Catholic community of Kaguite, who enthusiastically sang Emmanuel in his presence.
Continuing this momentum, the successor of Mgr Paul Abel Mamba invited everyone to get rid of this negative image of Casamance, Kaguite and other villages in the region. “We must not continue to keep this negative image of Casamance, Kaguite and all the villages in this territory,” insisted Mgr Jean-Baptiste Valter Manga. Addressing the residents of Kaguite on this Christmas Day, the son of the late Ampa Éloudia Étienne Manga and Lucie Assine asked them to continue to live in peace. He also prayed that the Lord Jesus Christ would bring back all the daughters and sons of this village who had to leave Kaguite because of the armed conflict. These children, he stressed, would like to return to their village, but had been forced to flee due to the situation. The day before, during midnight mass, Mgr Manga had insisted on the need to promote the sacrament of reconciliation, leading to confession and paths of hope.
An Islamic-Christian Christmas
If a village in the commune of Nyassia truly embodies harmony and peace, it is Kaguite. In this village, Muslim-Christian dialogue is more than a concept: it is lived on a daily basis. This was demonstrated during the celebration of Christmas. This December 25, imam Adama Diallo and village chief Oumar Ndiaye, both Muslims, took part in the mass presided over by Mgr Valter Manga. A gesture welcomed by the successor of the current bishop of the diocese of Tambacounda. “I am happy that among the audience there are Muslims. We have the imam of Kaguite who is among us, as well as non-Christian neighborhood delegates. They came to commune with us. This clearly proves that we must accept each other in difference and live in peace. When we hear the choir singing, we feel that there is peace in Kaguite,” expressed the former Sunday vicar of the Marie-Reine parish of the Nyassia universe. Speaking before the assembly, the imam of the Kaguite mosque, Adama Diallo, stressed that in Kaguite, residents do not distinguish between Muslims and Christians. For him, all constitute one and the same people.
