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[Sheila MESA <smm@wcc-coe.org>]

World Council of Churches
Press Release
For Immediate Use
17 September 1997

CENTRAL COMMITTEE     No.   9

WCC CALLS FOR DEMOCRATIC RULE IN NIGERIA; SPEAKS
OUT ON IRAQ, SUDAN AND SIERRA LEONE

The World Council of Churches (WCC) called today Wednesday (Sep.
17) for international oil companies working in Nigeria to examine the
impact of their work on the environment and social conditions, and to use
their influence with the military government of General Sani Abacha to
promote full respect for human rights and democratic freedom.  The WCC
says that if the companies' initiatives are ignored, they should withhold
cooperation from the government until it restores the rule of law, protects
human rights and allows the restoration of democratic civilian rule.
 
The WCC called on the Nigerian government to respect the results of the
1993 presidential elections and asked its member churches to urge their
countries to withhold economic and military cooperation from Nigeria until
full democratic rule is restored.  The declarations on Nigeria, and others
on Iraq, Sudan and Sierra Leone, were made by the WCC's Central
Committee, its 156-strong governing body.

The Committee, meeting in Geneva, expressed dismay over accusations
that Nigeria's consortium of international oil companies has caused
environmental devastation and has cooperated with the military and
police to repress civilians.  It welcomed the WCC's continuing dialogue
with Shell International, the leading member of the consortium, and called
on Shell to widen the dialogue to include direct discussions with the
churches of Nigeria, "free from government or other restraints".

The Central Committee urged Shell to negotiate with freely-chosen
representatives of the oil-rich area of Ogoni over its corporate
responsibilities, including reparations for "environmental destruction for
which it is responsible".

The Committee asked for an ecumenical team to visit Iraq to see how UN
sanctions are affecting the civilian population.  The team's report, and a
study of the situation by the WCC's international affairs staff, will be put
before the Executive Committee early next year for action.  The
Committee is worried that sanctions are liable to cause suffering among
powerless citizens and that much of the "oil for food" revenue is going
on defraying Gulf War costs and maintaining UN observers in Iraq.

On the civil war in Sudan, the Committee supported peace moves by the
country's churches and called for an immediate cease-fire among the
factions in the south and by the government.  It agreed with the
churches that the Khartoum Peace Agreement in April between the
government and the South Sudan Independence Movement would be
effective only if it were broadened to include the leaders of other
opposition movements, and expressed concern that the leader of the
SSIM had accepted a ministerial post, jeopardising the chances of that
happening.

Another ecumenical team is to be sent to the churches of Sierra Leone at
the Committee's request, to support their peace-making efforts.  The
Committee expressed profound regret that the positive efforts since last
year's democratic election to end the years of fratricidal fighting have
been reversed by the military coup of May this year.

(Note to Editors: further background to  these statements was given in
Central Committee Press Release No 4.)**********
The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches, now 330, in
more than 100 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian
traditions.  The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church but
works cooperatively with the WCC.  The highest governing body is the
Assembly, which meets approximately every seven years.  The WCC
was formally inaugurated in 1948 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.  Its staff is
headed by general secretary Konrad Raiser from the Evangelical Church
in Germany.

World Council of Churches
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