wfn.org | UGANDA: ANGLICANS LEAD RECONCILIATION MOVEMENT IN RWANDA

[a.whitefield@quest.org.uk]

Title:UGANDA: ANGLICANS LEAD RECONCILIATION MOVEMENT IN RWANDA
May 8, 1997 
ANGLICAN COMMUNION NEWS SERVICE
Canon Jim Rosenthal, Director of Communications
Anglican Communion Office
London, England
[97.5.1.4]

UGANDA: ANGLICANS LEAD RECONCILIATION MOVEMENT IN RWANDA

(from a report sent to ACNS by the Revd Richard Shackell, USA) Two
thousand people listened carefully as the Anglican Bishop of Lango,
Uganda, the Rt Revd Melchizedek Otim recounted the trauma of having to
hide in exile from Idi Amin's forces in 1977. "98% of my district was
Christian, yet the people  who plotted against me to kill me were
members of my own diocese, and fellow  Christians," recalled the
emotional bishop.  He related a similar story from  the recent Rwandan
genocide reports in a book called, "The Angels have left  us", where
Tutsi victims and Hutu executioners were members of the same 
congregation.  The bishop challenged the Anglican Church of Rwanda to
begin  the process of community reconciliation by creating health and
women's  development programmes for both ethnic groups. The bishop and
other Ugandan  bishops present at the 13 April service, pledged the
support of the Anglican  Church in Rwanda.

Among the congregation at St Peter's Cathedral in Kabale, 12 miles from
the Rwandan border were delegates from Rwanda, Uganda and the United
States of America.  Eighty church leaders  spent four days sharing
resources and information on successful health, development, AIDS and
women's programmes from the Kabale area, which could be replicated in
Rwanda.

The Dean of the Province of the Church in Rwanda, the Rt Revd Onesphore
Rwaje, reminded the delegates that the first Christians in Rwanda taught
from three foundation principles including evangelism, health and
education which were all still needed as the church proclaimed the
gospel of reconciliation.  The Dean was accompanied by several Diocesan
Secretaries, youth and Mothers' Union representatives, and health
workers who received intensive training on how to implement AIDS
prevention programmes, organise employment projects, write grant
proposals and train emerging leadership in the Church.  The conference
keynote speaker was the Revd Severin Ndayizeye, General  Secretary of
the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa which co-ordinates  the 35
million members Anglican Church in Africa. :"As a Burundian, all my 
family were killed in the northern part of my country "This conference
has helped me begin the slow  process of healing the pain and fear I
feel as a Tutsi, towards my Hutu  brothers and sisters." Fr Severin's
emotional testimony prompted an  outpouring of tears and embraces as
Hutu and Tutsi delegates moved around  the cathedral during an exchange
of the kiss of peace. The Bishop of the  host diocese of Kigezi, the Rt
Revd William Rukirande was invited to  pronounce a solemn absolution
over the delegates, asking God's forgiveness  for past wrongs. "This
moment was just what we needed," said one delegate  who thanked the
conference organisers and sponsors.

Sixteen delegates from the USA were present throughout including six
from Trinity Episcopal Church in Santa Barbara, California. Members of
the parish  presented a cheque for $1,000 to Bishop Rwaje, recently
raised by the parish  Sunday School to purchase a generator for a church
orphanage. Delegates  also presented funds for the continuation of the
work of reconciliation in  Rwanda which were raised by the Stones
Network, a California non profit  organisation concerned about
international health and reconciliation  programmes.

"We want to expand these excellent Ugandan programmes to her 
neighbours," said the Revd Albert Ogle, President of the Stones Network,
who led the American delegation.  Partnership from the US and Britain
will have an opportunity to ensure youth are educated about AIDS through
the Anglican Church's extensive networks, and the successful "Save Youth
from AIDS," programme which is funded by UNICEF "The local churches need
funds for health and women's projects designed to bring Hutu and Tutsi
together for common issues," said Fr Ogle who is returning to the US to
organise support through the Stones Network.

The Ugandan Minister for Information, the Honourable Ruhakana Rugunda
thanked the conference sponsors on behalf of the President of Uganda and
the  government:"The churches may be in a stronger position than
government to  promote reconciliation in the Great Lakes region of
Central Africa.  We have  to work together for peace in this region and
there is certainly enough work  for us all to do." The Minister reviewed
the recent rebellion in Zaire and  conflict in Rwanda and Burundi as
indicators of democratic change in Central  Africa. "We can see a light
at the end of a very dark tunnel," he assured  delegates, encouraging
them to continue the struggle for reconciliation in  the region.