Page 30 - bon-dia-aruba-20220916

A30 world news
Diabierna 16 September 2022

Pope keeps Moscow dialogue open even if it's uncomfortable

ABOARD THE PAPAL a defense is not only right but
PLANE (AP) — The Vati- "also an expression of love for
can plans to keep open your country." But he said
paths of dialogue with the motivation behind such
Russia, even if doing so fighting is key.
"smells," Pope Francis said
Thursday, reaffirming "It can be immoral if it's done
Ukraine's right to defend with the intention of pro-
itself. voking more war or selling
weapons or getting rid of the
Francis spoke at length about weapons that you don't need
Russia's war in Ukraine and anymore," he said.
the need for peace during a
press conference while trav- Lamenting that wars are rag-
eling home from Kazakhstan. ing around the planet, he
Francis had visited the former recalled that when he was 9
Soviet republic to participate years old, in 1945, he learned
in an interfaith peace confer- the value of peace as word
ence that, in its final commu- spread in Buenos Aires that
nique, called on all political World War II had ended.
leaders to stop conflict and
bloodshed "in all corners of "Even today, I can see my
our world." mother and the neighbor
"I don't exclude dialogue hoped his trip to Nur-Sultan another meeting was pos- weeping with joy because the
Francis has long touted the with any power that is in in Kazakhstan would pro- sible between the two world war had ended. We were in a
need for dialogue, even with war, even if it's the aggressor," vide a chance to meet with religious leaders but must be South American country, far
antagonists and countries Francis said. "It smells, but the head of the Russian Or- prepared well in advance. away. But these people, these
that are hostile to the Catho- you have to do it. Always take thodox Church, who has women, knew that peace was
lic Church. He reaffirmed a step forward, with the hand justified the Kremlin's war At the same time, though, bigger than all wars. And they
that policy in comments outstretched, because the al- in Ukraine on spiritual and Francis affirmed that it was wept with joy when peace
about Russia, China and even ternative is to close the only ideological grounds. Patri- "morally acceptable" for was made."
Nicaragua, where the gov- reasonable door to peace." arch Kirill bowed out of the Ukraine to receive weapons
ernment has been cracking conference last month, but to defend itself against Mos- "I won't ever forget that," he
down on the church. In that vein, Francis had his envoy who attended said cow's invasion. He said such said.

Concerns grow as Nigeria’s inflation surges to 17-year high

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) The rise in inflation was
— Nigeria’s consumer driven by “a disruption in the
inflation surged to a 17- supply of food products, an
year high in August 2022, increase in import cost due
its statistics agency said to the persistent currency
Thursday, signalling more depreciation and a general
hardship for citizens and increase in the cost of pro-
businesses in Africa’s larg- duction,” the statistics agency
est economy. said.
The food inflation rate in
The Nigerian National Bu- August 2022 was 23.1%, the
reau of Statistics (NBS) re- statistics agency said, blaming
ported in its latest consumer increases in prices of some of
price index that inflation rose the most common food items
to 20.5% in August, up from in Nigeria including bread,
19.6% in July this year and cereals and tubers.
17% in August last year.
The 17-year high consumer
It is the seventh consecutive inflation — more than dou- from citizens and businesses subsidies have gone up, im- damaged crops across huge
monthly increase in Nigeria’s ble the Central Bank of Ni- in Nigeria, a country of more pacting the price of retail pet- swathes of farmland in Nige-
inflation this year and the geria’s 9% target — draws than 200 million people. rol which is key to businesses ria’s north — might further
highest since 2005. more concerns of hardship in the Nigerian market,” said impact food prices.
Despite being Africa’s larg- Ese Osawmonyi with the La-
est economy and one of the gos-based SBM Intelligence The flour market is one of
continent’s top oil producers, research firm. the worst hit by rising infla-
corruption, insecurity and tion in Nigeria. Some baker-
lack of good governance have The security challenges ies are now shutting down
caused economic hardship which have led to the death operations amid dwindling
to many in this West African of thousands in the last year profits, according to Em-
country. in Nigeria’s north have also manuel Onuorah, who runs
further pushed food inflation a bakery in the nation’s capi-
Analysts also see “exter- higher by limiting supplies tal, Abuja.
nal shocks” from the war in from some of Nigeria’s big-
Ukraine as a contributing gest food-producing states, “People are closing,” Onuor-
factor to Nigeria’s grow- said analyst Osawmonyi. ah said of the hardship faced
ing inflation. With the ris- by bakers and other business-
ing price of oil and gas, for That is in addition to fears es. “It is no longer profitable
instance, “our importation that floods — which have for us. You just sustain your-
numbers and payment of displaced many homes and self.”