AFRICA/SENEGAL - International Colloquium on Religious Diplomacy: An impetus for peace amid global crises

Dakar (Agenzia Fides) - Yesterday, April 7, the International Colloquium on Religious Diplomacy (CIDiR) opened at the Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD) in Dakar and will conclude today, April 8. This international event brings together diplomats, researchers, religious authorities, and civil society representatives to discuss the role of religion in resolving today's conflicts.
The opening ceremony was attended by Msgr. Waldemar Stanisław Sommertag, Apostolic Nuncio to Senegal; André Gueye, Archbishop of Dakar; Chief Rabbi of Paris; representatives of the European Union; and leading Muslim religious figures.
The CIDiR is part of an initiative led by Thierno Amadou Tidiane Ba, Caliph of Bambilor, and Professor Ahmadou Aly Mbaye, former Rector of UCAD. Together, they are working to strengthen the links between academic knowledge and religious practices to create a more inclusive diplomacy, rooted in local realities while also capable of responding to global challenges.
For Thierno Amadou Tidiane Ba, religious diplomacy, long relegated to the background, is an essential response to the tensions in today's world: "It is not just an alternative, but a necessity," he emphasizes. "We all have a role to play in building peace. It is not about learning from states and politicians," the Muslim representative continues.
"Instead, we must participate actively, individually, and intellectually to overcome barriers. Peace begins where the will of the people is expressed, where people across borders and institutions decide to forgive one another and reach out." Both Msgr. André Gueye and Msgr. Waldemar Stanisław Sommertag emphasized that, at a time when geopolitical crises are increasing, religious diplomacy represents an alternative and complementary lever to traditional state-based approaches. Supported by distinguished moral figures, it plays an essential role in mediation, peacemaking, and intercultural dialogue. The conference will address the following topics in plenary sessions and thematic blocks: The Senegalese model of religious coexistence; The contribution of religions to peace in Africa; and issues of immigration and globalization. The aim of the discussions is to formulate concrete ways to better integrate religious actors into decision-making processes at the local and international levels. (A.TS.W) (Agenzia Fides, 8/4/2025)

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