(from our correspondent) Every month, many migrants from Senegal, Mali, Congo, Zambia go to Angola in search of diamonds with the connivance of the police. But they go back home empty-handed and with no documents, because of (convenience) operations of reinstatement of legality "which only serve to fill the policemen’s pockets by exploiting other people’s work". This situation is reported by the archbishop of Lwena, mgr. Gabriel Mbilingi, one of the people attending the workshop organised by Ccee (Council of European Bishops Conferences) and by Secam (Symposium of African and Madagascan Bishops Conferences) in Cape Coast, the Ghana, until November 18th, about "Slavery and new forms of slavery". The underpaid police live off corruption and let all these African migrants cross the borders for 100 or 200 dollars says mgr. Mbilingi to SIR . When they learn they have diamonds, they free the country with campaigns that they call Diamond Operations to convince us that that’s right. But the assets remain in their hands, who also exploit the migrants’ work. These foreigners go back home, and one month later they try again". Unfortunately, adds mgr. Mbilingi, "in these areas, the Church is not too present because it has few facilities and few priests". (continued)
