Dakar, Senegal — A Cameroonian priest today hinted in Dakar that the Catholic Church was preparing to take a stand in support of the government of South Africa in the law suit it is facing against a group of western pharmaceutical companies. Rev. Joseph Befe Ateba, spokesman for the standing committee of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar which has been meeting in Dakar, Senegal since Tuesday, said that Bishops had expressed serious concern on what he termed " scandalous mercantilism with human life". "The Bishops do not think that the Church in Africa should be silent on an issue so crucial as the HIV/AIDS pandemic", Fr. Ateba assured. He could not confirm whether or not a clear decision had already been arrived at concerning the matter. Father Ateba added that the standing committee meeting is to review the statutes of the Symposium, precisely to make it easy for the hierarchy of the Church in African to take a common position on concrete social issues such as AIDS, tribalism conflicts and wars. The Arch-Bishop of Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mgr Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya who was not present the opening session had arrived to preside over the meeting, in his capacity as president. He confirmed to PANA that the need to restructure the Symposium had arisen from their common desire to equip the organ with the necessary organisational instruments with which it can stimulate, animate and co-ordinate the action of the African Church in the building of what Pope John Paul II calls " the organic pastoral solidarity". It would be recalled that a group of 39 western pharmaceutical companies has dragged the government of South Africa to court to block an intended bill that could allow local firms to produce generic drugs for the treatment of the HIV/AIDS. Over 10 percent of the population of South Africa are known to be infected with the deadly virus. The meeting which is being attended by 13 Arch-Bishops and Bishops representing all the 10 regions of the continent is schedule to end on 25 March.