By Alpha Abu
The remains of retired Catholic Bishop George Biguzzi- one of the most influential figures who helped broker dialogue between rebel forces and the Government during Sierra Leone’s civil war, are to be flown to Sierra Leone for burial in Makeni, according to senior officials at the Diocese in the north of the country. Bishop Biguzzi reportedly passed away in the Italian city of Parma, on July 1, aged 88.
A senior official of the Catholic Church confirmed to Politico that a funeral service was held in Italy yesterday. He however could not say when the body of the bishop was to be flown to Sierra Leone. He said when that is done, then arrangements will be finalized for his internment in Makeni.
The Italian Bishop during his decades of service in Sierra Leone, was an iconic figure amongst the locals in Makeni where he reached out to many with his charitable work.
But it was his daring and sometimes controversial interaction with rebel forces at the time of the bloody conflict in Sierra Leone from 1991-2002 that brought him greater national recognition.
He never hid his desire for dialogue and a negotiated end to the war, and played a leading role in the peace process, even at one point held captive by the rebels before he was eventually released. His efforts and those of other key actors at the time, led to the signing of the 1999 Lome Peace Accord between the Government of Sierra Leone and the rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF).
Upon retiring as head of the Makeni diocese in January 2012, at the age of 75, Bishop Biguzzi moved over to his native Italy where he lived till his death. According to sources within the Makeni Diocese, Bishop Biguzzi had always insisted that upon his death, his remains should be buried in Makeni.
According to reports, leaders of the Catholic Church in Makeni are to honour his wish, as his body will be flown to Sierra Leone and laid to rest in Makeni where thousands are expected to pay their last respects to a man who touched the lives of many in that part of the country.
Bishop Biguzzi is in the same league as the revered former British High Commissioner to Sierra Leone Komrabai Peter Penfold, and Bishop Joseph C. Humper of the United Methodist Church, Sierra Leone-both also deceased, who contributed immensely in ending the war and consolidating peace in the country.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (10/07/24)
