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Obianuju Ekeocha, founder and president of Culture of Life Africa, speaks at the National March for Life on May 12, 2016.Patrick Craine / LifeSiteNews

OTTAWA, May 12, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) – On the steps of Parliament on Thursday, an African pro-life leader urged Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government not to “export abortion” to developing countries.

Speaking before a crowd of over 20,000 on Parliament Hill for the 19th annual National March for Life, Obianuju Ekeocha, founder and president of Culture of Life Africa, said, “I beg you to not use the blood of the innocent to pave the path to development. You can never buy development with the blood of the innocent.”

“Only a few days ago, I got [the] heartbreaking news that Canada will now be funding abortion in developing countries,” said Ekeocha.  “What a shame that the new government of Canada now wants to bring money that should have been helping women and children in Africa…to export abortion.”

Ekeocha exhorted Canadians to defend life because of the “universal truth” that “life begins at conception, without exceptions!”

“Maybe they have told you to go and take a seat,” said Ekeocha, but everyone gathered at the March for Life would rather “take a stand than take a seat!”

The Liberal government recently pledged $81.5 million to the United Nations’ Population Fund to fund “sexual and reproductive health services and rights.”

“Canada is back,” Marie-Claude Bibeau, minister for international affairs, said at the United Nations on March 15.  “We really want to support [international] projects that cover the whole range of health services to women and young girls…And this starts with sexual education, family planning, planning against sexual diseases, safe deliveries and safe abortion.” 

Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper excluded abortion funding from the international aid Canada provided to developing countries. 

Ekeocha called the news that Canada will be pushing abortion abroad “heartbreaking” and shameful. 

“I know they do not speak for you,” she exclaimed to the tens of thousands gathered on Parliament Hill.

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