NESTOR AFRICAN PRESIDENTS FORGIVES EUROPE

by: Pieter Bos
date: 8/5/2007
Category: RECONCILIATION

At the end of July 2007, in the city of Libreville, Gabon, in a crowd of more than 5000, with most Francophone African nations represented, the Vice President of Gabon read, on behalf of the president of the nation, a message of forgiveness for the European sins of colonialism. Literally he said: “The President of the Republic, the Head of State, fully embraces your aims and in the name of Gabon and as Dean of the Heads of State, in the name of Africa, WE ANSWER YES TO YOUR REQUEST FOR FORGIVENESS. YES, WE FORGIVE YOU IN ALL SINCERITY.”

During the main night of the 3rd Europe-Africa Reconciliation Process Conference, delegates of seven European nations knelt, barefoot, before the vice president, several ministers, delegations from 25 African nations, many pastors and a silent crowd. They read repentance statements, well researched and carefully formulated, covering the sins of slave trade and colonialism, explicitly focusing on the most painful facts. Several times the delegates could barely control their emotions; several times a spontaneous applause erupted, as if the crowd wanted to agree with the ugliness of the acts confessed.

The 1884-’85 Berlin – Congo conference in Berlin.
What many Europeans do not know, but what many Africans do know, is that in 1884-’85, in Berlin, a high level conference was organized to come to agreements about western trade in Africa. The German Duke Von Bismarck presided over this conference, and 14 western nations participated, to secure their interests. No African was present and even worse… during the conference period, but outside the official conference protocol, the “powers” divided the continent of Africa among themselves! This was not only pure imperialism, but it also imposed on the African peoples arbitrary borders and social-economic infrastructures that totally disrupted, even until today, the social fabric of the continent. It is true that when in the 1960ies all African nations gained independence, they themselves (!) decided to recognize these borders, to prevent another continental disruption, but the pain and shame of the Berlin conference was never addressed.

The Europe-Africa Reconciliation Process
Since 1999 a group of European prayer leaders has sought ways to revisit this episode, for the sake of the healing of both continents: the Europe-Africa Reconciliation Process (EARP). This led to a conference in Berlin in 2005, where all 14 western nations were represented. In the midst of about 350 Europeans and 100 Africans, mainly intercessors, confessions were delivered before representatives of 22 African Nations, all recognized spiritual leaders, who had been invited as our guests. One of the responses of the Africans was: could you come to us and, with this attitude, speak these words on our soil? That’s why in 2006 we gathered in Harare, Zimbabwe, for the Anglophone nations, with a former president and several ministers and many “chiefs” present in a crowd of about 2200. That’s why we gathered this year in Libreville.

Libreville, Gabon, for the Francophone African nations.
During this third EARP-conference a flow of amazing events unfolded before our eyes.
- Before the conference: in a complicated agenda situation, a national Pentecostal conference and our interdenominational conference almost colliding, the “Church of Libreville” took the bold decision to adapt both programs and so honor one another! (When after our confessions the African responses came, the pastor who represented the Church invited “all the pastors present” to rise to their feet; more than 100 were present, and this fact loudly and clearly showed their unity and their support for the endeavor.) Such an expression of unity showed the spiritual base on which we had landed.
- Before the conference a small delegation had an audience with the head of state, His Excellency El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba, to explain the purpose of our meeting and to underline the non-political but nevertheless spiritually high importance of our endeavor.
- During the first night in the Gymnasium, with 3500 present, a play was acted out by the youth of some ten churches in the city, which was in fact a “wrestle psalm” played out: “Oh God, do you not see our misery; where are you to rescue us from our oppressors; we are willing to forgive but, Lord, please, convict and change our oppressor; you are our hope, and bless France.” The content covered, in beautiful rhyming French, all kinds of oppression in all French former colonies, with considerable artistic level and perfect theological balance: the mercy overrules the suffering, but is not cheap, and it was highly dramatic. The last part of the play was an exuberant dance, the African way, celebrating freedom and destiny. No eye was dry during the play; a thundering applause came after. It was evident: the suffering was real and terrible; the will to forgive was as real and profound.
- During the second night, the vice president was with us, several cabinet ministers and bishops, delegations from 25 African nations, many pastors and a crowd of more than 5000. The six European delegations came forward, explained that they, as act of humbling themselves, would be barefoot and kneeling, and presented their apologies: The Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Great Britain and France. Very, very quietly the confessions were listened to, often interrupted with spontaneous applause (For the “most painful facts” see below). Then the responses from Africa came, from the North, the East, the South, the West and Gabon itself, some with much emotion, some supported with loud applause. One thing was repeated several times: “At last you have come… Never we could imagine the white man to kneel for us and repent…”. What stood out for me, as it did in Berlin and Harare: after hearing of such continental horrific evil, to hear the extending of continental forgiveness from the mouth of Africans; I realized again that Jesus’ suffering at the cross was enough even to cover such gross transgression, and enough to enable the victims to release forgiveness. It overwhelmed me again.
- The last to respond was the Vice President of the nation (who is a confessing Christian, which the president is not). In a well prepared speech, built on the discussion with and the information handed to the President a few days earlier, he emphatically referred to the fact that the President had introduced the concept of God into the constitution (2000), that the President had put “the Gabonese nation into God’s hands” (2005), that truthful confession of sins echoes the words in the Gospel of Jesus Christ: “The truth shall set you free”, and that “the President of the Republic, the Head of State, embraces your aims and in the name of Gabon and as Dean of the Heads of State, in the name of Africa, WE ANSWER YES TO YOUR REQUEST FOR FORGIVENESS. YES, WE FORGIVE YOU IN ALL SINCERITY.” The Vice President went on to refer to “…other such errant behavior” of African peoples that also block the development and blossoming of Africa. And he asked forgiveness from the “brothers and sisters from Europe and the West for all the frustration and every kind of hate that we have entertained or inherited from our forefathers.” He then stepped forward and started to greet and talk with us, while talking affirmingly also into the television cameras (it was covered live nationwide).
- It only dawned slowly on us, after we had read the full text the next morning, what had happened: in Berlin it was “intercessors only”; in Harare it was mainly intercessors, but with some political and media coverage; and now, here in Libreville, based on and thanks to a solid Church unity, the reconciliation process was suddenly lifted into government sphere. And not only that: Gabon is of all Francophone nations by far the most important pied à terre for France, and the Gabonese president is the dean (oldest) of all African presidents. So, for this president to say these words, not only the government sphere was reached, but even at continental-government level!

The “most painful facts”.
Just “slave trade and colonialism” is too general; out of the long lists of facts we confessed I choose some of the most shameful facts.
For England: the aggressive competition, economically and politically, over the heads of Africans, through “divide and rule”.
For The Netherlands: the introduction of slave trade and Apartheid in South Africa, and that we, at the Berlin conference, did not support an English proposal to discuss the humanitarian aspects of the European presence in Africa, simply to safeguard our commercial interests. See also the complete Dutch confession statement.
For Germany: the bloodthirsty expansionism in East Africa and the genocide of the Hereros in South West Africa.
For the French: the cultural pride at the expense of the local cultures and the continuation of it in the political, economical and military influence after the decolonization.
For the Belgians: the brutal abuse of humans and resources for economic gain, partly covered up by Roman Catholic missionaries.
More than once the Africans would say things like: “Through our idolatry and bloodshed we did not deserve better… you brought the gospel…you taught us administration…”, but that does not undo Western guilt.

The way forward.
The African response, besides forgiveness, included many suggestions and expectations, such as:
- Why does the church of Europe not a have prophetic voice to her governments concerning issues of social injustice?
- Africans are shocked that Western heads of state who fail are so carefully protected against humiliation, and that African heads of state who fail are so deeply humiliated, not only by the press but also by Western politicians.
- The problems between the continents are spiritual in nature; money and politics cannot restore; prayer, acts of reconciliation, correction of mistakes can.
- Economic equality, fair trade, investment in Africa, stop the brain drain; recognize us as equals, move from competition to co-operation. We invite you. Stand with us, support us with medical / educational assistance and in prayer.
- Sensitize the politicians, both in Europe and in Africa, to what has happened here. - Can the church of Europe not effectively stand with and beside African churches in partnering relationships?
- Stop supporting corrupt governments, stop selling weaponry, stop the cash flow of corrupt moneys, stop the negative press.
- We offer to pray for you, to help strengthen your prayer movements. In the reconciliation movement we have understood that, only by honestly facing the shared painful past, we can move forward to an evenly shared but hopeful future.

All the delegations went home happy, and have in the meantime, each in their own country, sent reports about what happened in Libreville to their head of state, to the prime minister, to the ministers involved, and to the national spiritual leaders, emphasizing that through the presidential response the process of reconciliation has been lifted to national spiritual and political leaders level!

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