wfn.org | ALL AFRICA NEWS AGENCY BULLETIN No. 44/02 (a)

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

November 11, 2002

AANA Bulletin is an ecumenical initiative to highlight all endeavours and 
experiences of Christians and the people of Africa.  AANA Bulletin is 
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Catholics, NGOs Rally To End War In Northern Uganda

KAMPALA (AANA) November 11 - Civil organizations and the Catholic Church 
have intensified their effort to bring to an end war in Uganda's northern 
region as fears of humanitarian crisis mount.

As part of its efforts to create awareness about the economic costs of the 
war, MS Uganda, a Danish non-government organization, has come out with a 
study that says the war will cost the equivalent of US $26 million or 10 
percent of the country's economic output (GDP).

Father John Frazer, a Catholic priest and director of an FM radio station, 
said the church had already met with the International Rescue Committee and 
other NGOs to see what the alliance can do.

Other NGOs that have agreed to work together include Help the Children of 
Africa Initiative and Justice and Peace Forum based in Kitgum that has 
listed numerous human rights abuses in the region.

The alliance comes in wake of growing skepticism about the government's 
ability to extinguish the Lords Resistance Army which has for the last 16 
years fought an insurgence war.

As part of the strategy to destroy LRA, an estimated 30,000 soldiers have 
been deployed in the region. Army Commander, Lt Gen James Kazini says since 
last March, LRA has lost nearly half of its troops, its bases in Sudan and 
weaponry worth US $5 million has been captured. It is a matter of time 
before LRA is thrown to the dustbin of history, he maintains.

However, the Catholic Church and NGOs are skeptical whether the military 
action is the best solution. They have recorded the number of displaced 
people to 500,000. Besides, there are doubts within UNHCR of its ability to 
mobilize 18,000 tones every week for the displaced population in the wake 
of financial constraints faced by the organization.

The grim situation led to suspension of relocation of 15,000 Sudanese 
refugees from the war zone. "We have been told even by Museveni (President 
Yoweri) of the weakness in the army," says Bishop Onono Oneng of Gulu 
diocese who adds that the rebel Lord's Resistance Army LRA had no regard to 
human life.

Museveni, the Ugandan leader, has responded to the NGO/Catholic 
Church	concerns and, on October 14, appointed Eriya Kategaya,the second 
deputy Prime Minister, to head government's negotiating team.

But the government has given mixed signals. While on the one hand it has 
offered an olive branch to the rebels, its actions have nonetheless scared 
peace facilitators. The detention of two Catholic priests in September and 
the arrest of 20 peace facilitators who have allegedly been described as 
collaborators and are to be charged with treason has kept some back.

Bishop Onono is now skeptical about the progress of peace talks especially 
now that LRA has not come up with a peace team of its own.

Still, the government has taken its anti-LRA war on another front. The 
recent grisly photos of beheaded people and cooking pots (which allegedly 
contained body parts that were to be cooked) published in the state-owned 
New Vision newspaper highlighted the determination by the government to 
engage in propaganda campaign to demonize LRA.

"New Vision is an up market paper which rarely uses such pictures, but we 
wanted to prove to doubting Thomases how bad Kony (David, leader of the 
rebel forces) can be," David Sseppuuya, Deputy Editor of the newspaper told 
Monitor FM  radio station.

However, others did not believe that the strategy was appropriate. "We 
already know how bad Kony is and we have been told on and on. But the 
pictures only added to our griefand they were in bad taste," said Dr 
Sylvia Tamale, a senior lecturer in Law at Makerere University, also hosted 
on Monitor FM.

Some observers say that for the war to stop attitudes must change. Japhet 
Biyimba, an officer attached to MS Uganda says aggressive tendencies in the 
society have caused many problems.

"The major crisis facing Uganda is about leadershipWe have grown up in an 
environment where we have not established mechanisms to resolve our 
problems peacefully," he says.

Reported by Crespo Sebunya

Croatians To Provide Assistance To Tanzanian Church

ZAGREB (AANA) November 11 - The Church in Croatia has undertaken to provide 
assistance for the development of the Church in Tanzania. The Croatian 
bishops have issued a memorandum urging the faithful in Croatia to offer 
contributions on November 12 for the building of a church and pastoral 
centre for the Ujewa Mission in Tanzania.

This mission, in which the Church will be named for the Blessed Cardinal 
Alojzije Stepinac, is headed by priests from the Split-Makarska Archdiocese.

The bishops' memorandum notes that during the war in Croatia, the faithful 
of this mission prayed for Croatia, and, despite their poverty also 
collected money and other assistance for Croatia.

The local ordinary bishop has approved the building of the Tanzanian 
church, the memorandum said adding that, the new centre will serve the 
17,500 Catholics of this mission. It will be the base for spreading the 
gospel in this region where, besides 7,500 Muslims and 6,500 Lutherans, 
there are over 60,000 non-believers.

According to the plans, a house for missionaries and catechists will be 
built within the mission complex. Other facilities will include a school 
for girls, a trade school, a clinic with 40 beds, a well and water tower. 
There will be an agricultural centre, a playground for children and 
apartments for the workers in the mission.

A health centre will be built at the same time as the church and will 
comprise of, in addition to the existing dispensary, a maternity ward, 
surgery ward, laboratory and 60 beds for patients.

In the memorandum, the bishops point out that the Croatian missionaries in 
the Ujewa Mission are preparing hundreds of adults and children for 
baptism. They will also be administering the other sacraments, celebrating 
Masses and conducting catechesis in two secondary schools with catechists 
in 30 elementary schools.

The church will also provide social services and guide the people on modern 
agriculture as well as direct their efforts to other economic sectors aimed 
at alleviating poverty.

Reported by Daniel Benno Msangya

ANGLICAN  COMMUNICATORS

Africa's Media Urged To Promote Human Understanding

NAIROBI (AANA) November 11 - The All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) 
has called upon journalists to practice peace journalism instead of 
engaging in journalism that stimulates conflict.

The AACC's interim General Secretary, Melaku Kifle, said journalists in 
Africa had a duty of spreading the message of peace and human understanding 
and not writing or broadcasting reports that pave way to tension. "We need 
journalism that promotes human understanding instead of journalism that 
breaks families and promotes ethnic tensions," he said.

He pointed out that Africa and the world were hungry for journalism that 
appreciated human kind. "We need journalism that acknowledges that human 
kind comes first and journalism second," he stated.

His speech was read on his behalf by Noel Okoth, former editor of AANA, 
during the closing of a four-day (October 28 to 31) regional workshop for 
Anglican communicators here. Over 30 communicators from the 12 provinces of 
the Anglican Church in Africa attended.

Kifle noted that communication was necessary for building bridges 
and  enhancing healthy human relationships. He told the communicators to 
use their skills to preach reconciliation, particularly this time when the 
Church in Africa was at the forefront in reconciliatory processes.

Kifle emphasized the need for the Church to rise up to the challenges of 
information technology and keep abreast with new technologies in order to 
reach all public spheres.

He urged the communicators and Church media to give prominent coverage to 
church and ecumenical activities.

The workshop was organized by the Council for Anglican Provinces of Africa 
CAPA and brought together communicators from Anglican provinces of Kenya, 
Uganda, Indian ocean, West, Central and Southern Africa, Congo, Sudan, 
Rwanda Burundi and Egypt.

Reported by Joyce Mulama

Experts Discuss Ways Of Enhancing Communication

NAIROBI (AANA) November 11 - Over 20 communicators from 11 out of the 12 
provinces of the Anglican Church in Africa who met here during October 
27-31 deliberated on ways of enhancing communication in the region.

Meeting under the theme Helping the Church Accomplish its mission through 
effective Communication,  the communicators heard that they had 
a  significant role of disseminating reconciliatory messages, especially 
this era, where the Church is highly involved in peace and reconciliation 
missions.

The provinces represented were Kenya, Uganda, Indian Ocean, Central, West 
and Southern Africa, Rwanda, Burundi Congo, Sudan and Nigeria. The Anglican 
Communion in London, which is the headquarters of the Anglican Church was 
also represented.

Among the topics of discussion was Advocacy for Peace and Development, 
Networking for Information Exchange and Dissemination, Cycle of 
Communication, Internet and E-mail connectivity, Communication Freedom and 
Telling the African Story through Film.  The four-day workshop was 
organised by the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa CAPA.

Addressing the communicators, CAPA's General Secretary, John Kanyikwa, 
noted that the Anglican Church in Africa was rapidly growing and hence the 
need for continuous and effective flow of information.

He noted that communication was a two way-road, not only speaking or 
spreading the information, but also listening to other people, if the 
mission was to change attitudes. "Listen to God first, then listen to the 
people we are serving," he said.

CAPA was inaugurated in 1979 in Malawi with a main objective being 
provision of forum for the Anglican provinces of Africa know one another 
better and form a strong fellowship.

Reported by Joyce Mulama