wfn.org | ALL AFRICA NEWS AGENCY BULLETIN No. 42/02 (a)

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

ALL AFRICA NEWS AGENCY BULLETIN No. 42/02 (a)
October 28, 2002

All Africa News Agency
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AANA Bulletin
Editor - Mitch Odero

Bulletin APTA
Acting Editor - Silvie Alemba

Christian - Muslim Consultation Supports Peace Efforts

GENEVA (AANA) October 28 - "We condemn the exploitation of religious 
sentiment and the distortion of the teachings of our two faiths," says a 
report from an international consultation of representatives of Christian 
and Muslim organisations, scholars and activists who met 16-18 October in 
Geneva.

The consultation, hosted by the World Council of Churches (WCC), brought 
together 40 participants for "a critical examination of the present state 
of relations between their respective communities and an assessment of what 
has been achieved". The event was co-chaired by Dr Mohamed S. El-Awa, an 
author and lawyer from Egypt, and the moderator of the WCC Central 
Committee, H.H. Aram I, Catholicos of the See of Cilicia of the Armenian 
Apostolic Church.

  "Because of the globalisation of information... events where Muslim and 
Christians are perceived to be in conflict are translated to other parts of 
the world, where they often contribute to the worsening of unrelated 
situations," the report points out. This happened, it suggests, after  the 
"terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre in New York, the threats of war 
against Iraq, and the pain and suffering in Palestine".

The consultation identified some priorities for joint efforts in the next 
five years, particularly in education "by and for our communities as a key 
arena in which to create the trust and mutual understanding which are 
essential to resist attempts to exploit religious differences for 
destructive ends".

At the end of their discussions, participants expressed their joint 
commitment to search for justice, prevent conflict and overcome violence. 
They called on political leaders "to resist the temptation to resort to 
simplistic and populist assignations of blame and demonisation of whole 
communities". Religious leaders, they said, should "draw attention to the 
social, economic and other injustices which influence their environment, 
and resist the exploitation of these injustices to rouse religious hatreds".

According to the WCC staff person for Christian-Muslim dialogue Dr Tarek 
Mitri, "the consultation did not shy away from sensitive, and divisive, 
issues". Building on previous dialogue efforts, "it made significant 
progress in developing a common, and rather elaborate, approach  to related 
questions of citizenship and human rights as well as to those of injustice 
and violence." For Mitri, the message of the consultation was "to move 
beyond classical dialogue".

Source: WCC

Museveni Intensifies Mop-up Operations Against Rebels

GULU (AANA) October 28 - Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has ordered for 
a rapid deployment of more Uganda Peoples Defence Force (UPDF) infantry 
forces in Lango, Northern Uganda for a quick response against the Lord's 
Resistance Army (LRA) rebels of Joseph Kony, security sources said.

The extra deployment of UPDF forces ordered for by Museveni, who is the 
commander-in-chief of the UPDF, is aimed at a quick and speedy response to 
any LRA threats and attacks in Lira and Apac districts of Northern Uganda 
the sources said.

Apac Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Drani Dradriga, said on 
Wednesday, "We have received more UPDF soldiers and this is to enable the 
army to respond very quickly to LRA attacks."

UPDF 5th division commander based in Pader Col. John Mugume said, "We have 
intensified our mop-up operations and have been able to destroy most of the 
enemy hideouts in Lira and Pader districts."

"They (LRA) have now fled towards Kitgum district and towards the Sudan 
border," Mugume said.  The UPDF destroyed two LRA hideouts in Pader 
district on Monday, sending the rebels in disarray, security sources said.

The sources said the rebels were now scattered and were avoiding contact 
with UPDF forces who are pursuing them.  A big LRA group with some captives 
carrying looted items, is reported to have crossed into Kitgum district in 
Ororu and Namukora sub-counties heading towards the Sudan border. The army 
confirmed the group intended to cross into Sudan.

Meanwhile, a 54-year-old female nurse, Mary Okema, and two other civilians 
were on Wednesday afternoon shot and injured by the rebels in an ambush at 
Corner-Agula, Lalogi sub-county, Omoro county in Gulu.

They were part of a group that was travelling on a pick-up truck from Acet 
trading centre. Residents of Lalogi and security officials there identified 
the injured as the driver, Kemis, 24, and Alfred Ojara, 25.

Last Sunday, the rebels killed an LC1 chairman of Bar Opok, Akano parish, 
Ogur sub-county in Erute north. Augustin Omara was shot dead at his 
home.  The rebels, estimated to be about 17, abducted 30 people from the 
same  village before attacking Ogur sub-county, 16km north of Lira town.

In Otara parish in Aromo sub-county, the rebels killed an unidentified man 
and burnt over 180 houses in different villages, stretching over five 
kilometres.

Reported by Pamela Babirukamu

Religious Leaders Adopt An Interfaith Plan Of Action

JOHANNESBURG (AANA) October 28 - A week-long historic inter-faith peace 
summit ended in Benoni near Johannesburg on October 21, with the adoption 
of a plan of action authorising the establishment of a Continuation 
Committee and a call on religious leaders to take "immediate" actions in 
regard to areas of conflict such as "Sudan, Cote d'Ivoire, Uganda and the 
Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Inter-Faith Action for Peace in Africa, adopted at the end of the 
meeting called for the convening of a series of regional summits across 
Africa to be held within the next 18 months in order to continue the drive 
for peace on the continent. An all-Africa Summit is planned in three years' 
time, with the aim of assessing and following up the outcomes of the plan. 
The plan is based on a declaration adopted by consensus on October 17.

An extensive plan of action will be carried back to the nations of Africa 
and adapted to meet the specific needs of each region. Inter-faith groups 
in Africa have been charged with taking up issues ranging from small arms 
proliferation to health and environmental issues that hinder the peaceful 
development of the continent.

In a special closing ceremony at the Kopanong Conference Centre, a copy of 
the Plan of Action and the Johannesburg Inter-Faith Peace Declaration, 
adopted arlier in the week, were handed over to guest speakers, the Mayor 
of Ekurhuleni, Mr. Duma Nkosi and Dr Barney Pityana, principal of the 
University of South Africa.

In his closing remarks, Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko, General Secretary of the 
Lutheran World Federation (LWF) described the declaration as a landmark 
because it "marks how far we have come in the pursuit of peace." The plan 
of action, he said, laid the foundation for a different chapter into our 
inter-faith encounters, and in the history of Africa." The week-long 
meeting, bringing together religious representatives from 21 African 
countries was organised by the LWF and hosted by the National Religious 
Leaders Forum of South Africa (NRLFSA).

Ambassador Ilari Rantakari, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Finland, welcomed 
the plan of action underlining that it included a meaningful programme 
envisaging implementation on local, national, sub-regional and regional 
levels.

On behalf of the NRLFSA, Bishop Mvume Dandala, Presiding Bishop of the 
Methodist Church of Southern Africa and President of the South African 
Council of Churches said they felt honoured to host the historic 
conference. The major task now is to convince our various communities as to 
the significance and value of this inter-faith dialogue and fellowship 
exercise, he added.

Reported by Pauline Mumia - LWF (see also features section)

Kenya's Parliament Dissolved In Readiness For Elections

NAIROBI (AANA) October 28 - Kenya's eighth parliament was dissolved by 
President Daniel Arap Moi last Friday.

In a terse press statement, the president said the Kenyan parliament stands 
dissolved to pave way for the members to seek new mandate from the 
electorate.  The president vacates office early next year to pave way for a 
new and third president of Kenya.

Earlier, the president had hinted that the elections would be held under 
the current constitution, thus scuttling an on-going constitutional review 
process.   Some 640 delegates were streaming into Nairobi to attend a 
National Constitutional Conference planned for October 28.  The 
constitutional conference was expected to produce finally agreed 
constitution for parliamentary legislation.

The dissolution of parliament now means that Kenyans will go to the polls 
on the old constitution despite popularity of the new draft constitution.

Meanwhile, hundreds of women took to the streets here last Monday (October 
21) in a peaceful demonstration to lobby for fair and peaceful elections.

The women from across the country observed that previous general elections 
had been marred by violence and that it was time to sensitise politicians, 
voters and society on ways of carrying out polls without violence.

Speaking to AANA during the procession, the coordinator for the Women's 
Peace Forum, Tecla Wanjala said majority of election violence victims were 
women. "In most cases, we bear the brunt of clashes. The only picture you 
can see during that time is one of tearful women, their children and their 
luggage," she said.

Wanjala pointed out that time had come for women to move away from being 
victims to participants at negotiating tables to deliberate with those in 
authority about peaceful solutions to the country's problems.

The Coordinator of African Community Education Network (ACEN), Ms Berewa 
Jommo was in favour of the draft constitution and said when effected, women 
would penetrate into key decision-making posts.

"We cannot have a participatory democracy unless women are effectively 
represented in all structures of governance," she stressed.  She was 
referring to a draft constitution published recently by Constitution of 
Kenya Review Commission, which had been appointed by the government to 
review Kenya's current constitution.

The theme of the demonstration was "Listen to the Women, Build the Peace". 
Jommo said women had powerful visions and constructive ideas for the 
country, but no one was keen to listen to them.

The women, most of them peace workers, proceeded to the Police headquarters 
in Nairobi, to present a petition to the Police Commissioner (Mr. Philemon 
Abongo) but were locked out, forcing them to stick the petition at the gate.

This raised concern among the public as to whether the police were serious 
about just causes such as spreading messages of peace, especially during 
the forthcoming elections.

The petition noted inter-alia "As community based peace workers, we have 
seen the damage to life and property, that can result from police 
neglecting their calling or misinterpreting their role or misusing their 
powers."

The trip was to express solidarity with women peace workers in North 
Eastern Province, an area famous for ethnic clashes and banditry. "In most 
cases it is the women here who intervene to bring peace among warring 
communities," said Jommo.

The event was organised by the Women's Peace Forum, operating under the 
Peace and Development Network of the NGO Council.

Reported By Herman Kasili and Joyce Mulama