Religious leaders from all around Africa began a 4-day conference in Libya’s capital, Tripoli. The conference is being held in order to discuss the role of religion in creating a more peaceful Africa. Simultaneously, the African Council of Religious Leaders is holding its second general assembly.

Expected to open the event were past African state leaders. These included Olusegun Obasanjo from Nigeria and Ahmad Teejan from Sierra Leone.

This conference is “an opportunity for religious leaders representing all historic faith traditions to share the experiences of their religious communities transforming conflict, building peace and advancing sustainable development.”

The African Council of Religious Leaders has been watching over and has become increasingly concerned with the many conflicts taking place in African countries today. They are hoping this conference will help bring about dialogue on how to peacefully resolve conflicts.

Sarah Dada

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According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the crew on the smuggling boat told its passengers that they would travel into the Somali city of Bossaso in a smaller boat to re-charge a battery and then return. However, they never did.

Rescuers were able to save 71 people between the ages of 2 and 40. The passengers had paid $100 each for the voyage. The migrant ship is part of an armada in which over 31,000 African migrants have reached Yemen. The migrants, fleeing war and poverty in Somalia, are trying to enter Yemen as a “gateway to wealthier parts of the Middle East” as well as western nations. Despite the thousands who have made the journey, UNHCR calculated that 500 people have died or gone missing in the process.

This tragedy gives us an opportunity to reflect on the current situation not only in Africa but within Yemen. It illustrates how Yemen, despite the problems that exist in the Middle East, is seen as a haven for others. This fact gives Yemen a crucial role as an actor on the international and political spectrum.

Jenna Hootstein

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