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                   WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES

        Office of Communication - Press and Information

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 Telephone: (022) 791 61 52/51        Telefax: (022) 798 13 46
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PRESS RELEASE			FOR IMMEDIATE USE		17 May 1996

                WCC RESPONDS TO LIBERIA CRISIS

The conflict in Liberia and the flight of refugees has prompted a
special visit to West Africa by a World Council of Churches (WCC)
specialist in refugee affairs plus a letter of concern from the
WCC General Secretary to the UN Secretary General.

Today (Friday) Mr Melaku Kifle, Coordinator of the WCC's Refugee
Service, is flying to Ghana carrying a cheque for US$30,000 which
will be used by the Christian Council of Ghana to provide food
and water for some of the newly-arrived refugees.

The money is sent by Action by Churches Together (ACT), the
worldwide network of churches and their related agencies with
offices in Geneva, and of which the WCC is a part.

On Sunday, Melaku Kifle hopes to visit the camp where Liberian
refugees are now being housed after the Ghanaian authorities
allowed them ashore following a ten-day ordeal at sea.

Kifle will then join a special meeting in Accra of church leaders
from West and Central Africa who will discuss how churches can
better foresee and respond to circumstances which create vast
numbers of refugees.

Kifle said that, because of the Liberian crisis, this meeting had
been brought forward by one week.  He added that, if logistically
possible, he hoped the meeting would begin by holding its opening
worship and prayer service on Monday morning at the camp.  "This
would be a symbolic way of expressing our solidarity with the
refugees and with all the Liberian people in their time of
extreme need", said Kifle.

In Ghana, Kifle will also work with ACT and Ghanaian church staff
to assess what more churches can do to respond to the immediate
needs of Liberian refugees.

In a related move, WCC General Secretary Dr Konrad Raiser has
told Dr Boutros Boutros-Ghali, UN Secretary General, the WCC is
"deeply concerned about the terrifying developments in Liberia
and the cancellation of the regional talks in Ghana".

By letter, Raiser has appealed to Boutros-Ghali to use his good
offices "to end violence and foster reconciliation" and promised
"we will continue to support any efforts in this respect".

Raiser said the WCC also continued to support the efforts of the
churches in the region to bring peace and reconciliation in
Liberia.  He added, "The WCC urges all its member churches to
uphold the churches and communities in Liberia in their prayers".

Contact:	Melaku Kifle: Kingsby Hotel, Accra: 
Phone: +233.21.400742 or	400891. Fax +233.21.401694; or via the
Christian Council of Ghana: Phone +233.21.776678.