For the first time, a General Authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has met with leaders of the Republic of Chad in Africa.
Elder Alfred Kyungu, General Authority Seventy and president of the Church’s Africa West Area, had a three-day official visit in N’Djamena, Chad, Oct. 28-30, in response to a formal invitation from Chad’s government.
Chad is a landlocked country in the central region of Africa bordered by Libya, Sudan, the Central African Republic, Cameroon, Nigeria and Niger. Its official languages are Arabic and French, and Islam is the majority religion, followed by Christianity. It is the fifth-largest country in Africa by area and has a population of over 19 million.
The Church’s Africa Newsroom reported that Elder Kyungu met with Chad Prime Minister Allamaye Halina, who thanked the Church for its humanitarian service in the country since 1985. More recently, the country has been experiencing an influx of refugees from Sudan and neighboring countries.
Elder Kyungu and others from the Africa West Area offices also met with government officials over areas such as women and children, education, water and energy, public health and more.
The Church does not yet have an official presence in Chad but seeks to care for those in need and relieve suffering as Jesus Christ would. During the conversation, Elder Kyungu reaffirmed the Church’s mission to meet both the humanitarian and spiritual needs of God’s children, and both sides expressed a desire to continue working together to serve Chad’s most vulnerable populations.
The Africa Newsroom report explained that the prime minister affirmed that Chad welcomes all religions that promote peace and harmony. Elder Kyungu expressed deep gratitude for the religious freedom enjoyed in Chad and shared the Church’s twelfth article of faith, which declares a commitment to “obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.”
Elder Kyungu presented government and religious leaders with copies of "The Family: A Proclamation to the World," the Articles of Faith, the Book of Mormon and the Church’s pamphlet for Latter-day Saints and Muslims. He also presented a framed photo to the prime minister illustrating shared beliefs between Latter-day Saints and Muslims.
