wfn.org | All Africa News Agency June 16 2003 (a)

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

ALL AFRICA NEWS AGENCY
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AANA BULLETIN No. 23/03 June 16, 2003 (a)

NEWS  SECITON

SPECIAL  FOCUS ON LIBERIA

Cleric Wants An Active Peace Keeping Force In Liberia

AKOSOMBO/NAIROBI (AANA) June 16 - The General Secretary of the Liberian 
Council of Churches, Rev. Benjamin Dorme Lartey, has sent out calls to 
churches and the international community to support the Liberian Peace 
Conference, currently underway in Akosombo, Ghana.

In a brief to various ecumenical organisations around the world, the 
Liberian cleric, who is currently attending the peace negotiations in 
Ghana, said: "The unarmed population is at the total mercy of both 
government and LURD (Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy) 
forces, who have started to loot and harass... If nothing is urgently done, 
Monrovia and its environs could witness a bloodbath and genocide."

He called on churches to play active advocacy roles saying, "We need your 
help. We need more advocacy with the United States government and the 
United Nations.  We want the UN to agree to deploy some of the UN Peace 
Keeping Force currently in Sierra Leone to Liberia, once we broker a 
cease-fire."

According to Rev Lartey, the peace keeping force should not only monitor 
cease-fire but take over security.

The Liberian Peace Conference opened on June 4 under the auspices of the 
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), as fighting between 
Liberia's government forces and Liberians United for Reconciliation and 
Democracy (LURD) rebel group escalated near Monrovia, Liberia's capital.

Present at the opening of the talks were presidents John Agyekum Kufuor of 
Ghana, who is also chairman of ECOWAS, Thabo Mbeki of South Africa (also 
the chairman of Africa Union), Ahmed Tejan Kabbah of Sierra Leone, Laurent 
Ghagbo of Cote d'Ivoire, Charles G. Taylor of Liberia and the Prime 
Minister of Togo.

In the on-going talks are representatives of 18 registered political 
parties in Liberia, officials of the Liberian Government, a 14-man 
delegation from LURD, and a cross section of Liberians, including the 
Inter-Religious Council of Liberia.

According to Rev. Lartey, immediate priority of the peace conference is to 
achieve a cease-fire and the deployment of an international force in 
Liberia.  As at going to press, a cease-fire agreement was due to be signed 
midday, June 14.

The chief mediator of the peace process is former Nigerian Head of State, 
Retired General Abdulsalami Abubakar.

Reported by Joseph K'Amolo

AACC Presents Six Proposals To ECOWAS Mediation Team

NAIROBI (AANA) June 16 -The All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) has 
expressed "unshaken support" for the Economic Community of West African 
States (ECOWAS) Mediation Committee currently meeting in Akosombo, Ghana, 
to find solutions to the protracted conflict in Liberia.

In a terse letter to the Liberia peace negotiators, Interim General 
Secretary of AACC, Mr Melaku Kifle, noted that the Akosombo meeting was 
"both significant and timely".

"The hope of the AACC and its 169 member national churches and that of 
Africa as well as the international community is placed on the ECOWAS 
Mediation Committee for a peaceful Liberia," he said, observing that for 
two decades, Liberians have not known peace.

"The theatre of war has prevailed, causing deaths of thousands upon 
thousands of innocent Liberians on the mere basis of suspected political 
allegiance," he said, adding, "This must stop".

Melaku said the success of the peace meeting would, besides ushering a new 
era of sustained peace in Liberia, also save lives of thousands, 
particularly the vulnerable victims of power struggles.

AACC has accordingly appealed to the peace negotiators to consider the 
following proposals:

o	That the warring parties agree on an armistice which should ensure 
suspension of all hostilities and a declaration of a cease-fire.
o	That the African Union (AU) and the United Nations provide both peace

keeping and peace enforcement forces.  Experience has shown that without 
them an armistice agreement will not hold.
o	That the ECOWAS Mediation Committee ensures that a clearly defined
and 
binding peace process is designed and agreed upon by all the warring 
parties. Such agreement should be signed by the warring parties before the 
meeting ends.
o	That the said peace agreement should include the formation of a 
transitional government with clearly defined actors and their 
responsibilities.  The life span of the transitional government must be 
time-bound.
o	That the Mediation Committee should establish a monitoring and 
supervision mechanism to ensure the implementation of all the signed 
agreements.
o	That as the new era of peace dawns on Liberia, Liberia's neighbours 
should also be supported to establish harmonious neighbourliness and 
healthy cross-border relations. Accordingly, all the neighbouring countries 
should refrain from harbouring combatants from their respective nations.

Meanwhile, AACC has requested the General Secretary of the Christian 
Council of Ghana, Rev. Dr. Robert Aboagye-Mensah, to form a delegation 
comprising members of his Council, representatives of Fellowship of 
Churches and Councils in West Africa (FECCIWA) and AACC, to serve as 
observers in the peace talks.

"In this way, we will have given visible support and practical expression 
of solidarity to the Liberian Inter-faith Council," said Mr Melaku.  The 
Liberian inter-religious council is represented in the peace conference by 
Rev. Lartey.

Reported by Joseph K'Amolo

Displacements Continue As Harsh Times Begin To Bite

MONROVIA/GENEVA (AANA) June 16 - Thousands of people who had earlier been 
displaced by the ongoing conflict here are once again on the move, says the 
Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Liberia.

LWF, a member of the global humanitarian alliance, Action by Churches 
Together (ACT) International, reports that thousands of people who had 
found refuge on the outskirts of Liberia's capital, Monrovia, in camps for 
the internally displaced, had fled and were sleeping in open fields or 
public buildings. Thousands of people have also sought shelter in one of 
the main sport stadiums in the city.

LWF's program co-ordinator for Liberia, Edward Yarkpazuo said last week 
that although some calm had returned since June 6, the situation remained 
tense, with sporadic bursts of heavy gunfire being heard.

In a situation report, Yarkpazuo states: "Many residents of the heavily 
populated Bushrod Island have been moving to central Monrovia and other 
parts of the city for safety... People who arrived from the scene where the 
fighting is taking place reported a large number of dead people..."

Yarkapazuo added that there were serious health concerns, saying, "The 
conditions people find themselves in are unhygienic".

Concerned Christian Community (CCC), also a partner of ACT, hinted that 
rebel forces were not intent on negotiating with Liberian President, 
Charles Taylor, on the grounds that "he is an indicted war criminal".

CCC's Rev. Kortu Brown said that although the Liberians United for 
Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) rebels had ordered a three-day 
cease-fire to allow Mr Taylor to vacate the country, fighting had not quite 
stopped.

"These things don't just happen, especially when the military machinery of 
the fighting forces are still very active and people may not care about the 
consequences to civilian lives," he noted, referring to the cease-fire
claims.

Appealing for support from churches around the world, Rev. Browns said: 
"There is a need for the churches around the world to continue to stand 
with the church in Liberia. These are difficult times, after about thirteen 
years of unabated violence".

He went on: "Something has to be done now to call a stop to this madness. 
We count on your prayers and support."

As the stalemate continues, Liberians are bracing themselves for difficult 
economic times. Prices of scarce basic food items have soared.	Last 
Tuesday, a bag of rice was being sold at an abnormal price of US$40, 
according to Rev. Brown.

Financial institutions have not been able to provide services to the 
general public, while most businesses remained closed because of fears of 
looting. But LWF says that looters are being dealt with harshly by 
government forces, and even being executed in some instances.

Reported by Callie Long
ACT Communication Officer

UNICEF Condemns Atrocities Against Women And Children

KINSHASA/NAIROBI (AANA) June 16 - The United Nations Children's Fund 
(UNICEF) has raised alarm over violence meted against women and children in 
the ongoing conflict in Ituri Province, east of the Democratic Republic of 
Congo (DRC).

The UN body is particularly worried about recent reports that thousands of 
women and girls were being brutally attacked, raped, mutilated and killed 
in the war-torn  province, and has called upon all actors to the conflict 
to put an end to the atrocities. "These attacks against innocent civilians 
are committed with impunity," said UNICEF Executive Director, Carol Bellamy 
in a statement released June 6.

"Those individuals and groups who are committing these horrific crimes must 
never forget they are accountable under international law. When the time 
comes, the world must hold them accountable," Bellamy warned.

An estimated 20,000 women and an equal number of children have been 
displaced by the recent outbreak of fighting, mainly between the Hema and 
Lendu militia groups.

The UN agency is concerned that various armed groups recently recruited 
thousands of children, some younger than 10 years old. Many of these 
children, believed to comprise a third of the 30,000 fighters, have been 
forced to take part in horrific violence, while countless others have been 
killed or maimed in combat.

"The recruitment of child soldiers in this conflict is simply 
unacceptable," Bellamy stated. "These children are protected under 
international and Congolese law and must be immediately demobilised," she 
added.

While commending the UN Security Council for a speedy decision to deploy a 
multi-national force to stem violence against civilians, Bellamy calls upon 
all combatants and governmental actors to halt all forms of attack against 
civilians; cease recruitment of children and immediately begin the 
demobilisation process of all child soldiers, and guarantee the security of 
civilian populations in the areas under their control.

In addition, UNICEF appeals to the combatants to allow humanitarian actors 
full, safe and unhindered access to all affected populations and guarantee 
their security in the areas under their control.

The DRC is a mineral rich country in central Africa, and has been in a 
vicious civil war since about six years ago, when Mobutu Sese Seko was 
overthrown from power by Laurent Kabila.

Reported by Vincent Okungu

NGOs Accuse Govt Security Organs Of Harassing Women

NUBA MOUNTAINS, Sudan (AANA) June16 Eight women from Nuba Indigenous 
Ruya  Association were on June 3, harassed and detained in questionable 
circumstances by government security organs here.

According to a press release issued by Nairobi-based Nuba Relief, 
Rehabilitation and Development Organisation (NRRDO) on June 6, the women 
were among a delegation attending an All Nuba Women Conference in the Nuba 
Mountains (June 5-9), organised by Ruya Association (Kadugli), and NRRDO in 
Kauda.

They were picked from Ruya offices in Omdurman, about 20 kilometres 
North-west of Khartoum, and taken to Elmashia security office, says the 
statement.

Though later released,	the NRRDO claims that the women were called back by 
the security for further interrogation, and had some of their belonging 
confiscated.

NRRDO says that this behaviour is a violation of the cease-fire agreement 
between Khartoum government and Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army 
(SPLM/A) still in effect until July 19, this year.

The  cease-fire agreement signed in October last year between the two 
warring parties, allows for the free movement of the civilian population to 
and from the Nuba Mountains.

"This action has obstructed efforts to create a conducive environment for 
dialogue and reconciliation among the Nuba people," says the  press release.

According to the statement, this attitude prevents the women of Nuba to 
fully participate in the ongoing peace process, and shows that the 
Government of Sudan lacks the will to protect the rights of women.

Following the incident, NRRDO has appealed to the Joint Monitoring 
Commission and the Friends of Nuba Mountains to intervene and facilitate 
free movement of  Nuba women.

This must happen in order to allow women to participate in this historic 
event, which is taking place for the first time, notes the NRRDO statement.

Reported by Makur Kot Dhuor

Systems Are Now Underway To Repatriate Angolan refugees

GABORONE (AANA) June 16 - A tripartite accord for setting up of a 
commission for the repatriation of Angolan refugees was signed here June 4, 
by the governments of Angola and Botswana, and the United Nations High 
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The document foresees repatriation of some 2,400 Angolans resident in 
Botswana, taking place from June 20 to July 20 this year.

Angola's Deputy Foreign Minister, George Chicoty, Botswana's Minister for 
Labour and Home Affairs, Daniel Kwelagobe, and the UNHCR Regional 
Co-ordinator for repatriation of Angolan citizens, Kallu Kalumiya, signed 
the accord.

This followed a three-day State visit to Botswana by Angolan President, 
Jose Eduardo dos Santos.

Officially, about 850 Angolans are classified as refugees living in 
Botswana, according to UNHCR's Botswana Representative, Benny Otim.

"But there is indeed a larger number of Angolans in Botswana. Some have 
been here for more than 20 years, and a large number of them have already 
been naturalised, while others are in the process of [becoming citizens]," 
Otim noted.

After the signing of the repatriation agreement, representatives of UNHCR, 
Angola and Botswana formed a commission to look at the logistics of taking 
people back to Angola.

Otim said that ensuring people were returned in "safety and dignity" was of 
paramount concern.

Said he: "As you know, some of these areas [in Angola] are heavily mined. 
We will have to focus on ensuring that when they (the refugees) get back, 
they will not be hurt. The moment conditions on the ground are acceptable, 
we will take them back into Angola".

UNHCR is also expected to repatriate another 450,000 Angolan refugees 
living in several countries in southern Africa, the biggest concentration 
being in Zambia.

Further repatriation agreements are expected to be signed between UNHCR and 
Angola's neighbours still sheltering refugees.

"For example, we hope to sign one with South Africa in the next few weeks," 
revealed Otim.

Many Angolans were displaced as a result of the country's 30-year civil war 
that only came to an end last year, after Unita rebel leader Jonas Savimbi 
was killed.

Reported by Rodrick Mukumbira

Religious Leaders Urge Govts To Involve Public In NEPAD

MOSHI, Tanzania (AANA) June 16	- Religious representatives in Tanzania 
have challenged African governments to ensure active participation of the 
citizenry in discussions on the implementation of the New Partnership for 
Africa's Development (NEPAD).

"Our concern is how to nourish the NEPAD program so that poverty amongst us 
is addressed and eradicated," Bishop Dr Erasto N. Kweka, acting head of the 
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT), said here at a May 13-14 
consultation on NEPAD.

The meeting, whose aim was to obtain opinions of religious leaders and 
civil society on NEPAD, and openly discuss social and economic constraints 
affecting Tanzanians, was organised by the ELCT, in collaboration with the 
Lutheran World Federation (LWF). Discussions at the two-day meeting also 
included impacts of globalisation, and the implications of a liberal global 
market economy.

While a Minister of State in the Office of the President, Dr. Abdallah 
Kigoda, urged that NEPAD be given a chance, a sociologist at the University 
of Dar es Salaam, Prof. Chachage Sethy Chachage, equated the initiative to 
the famous structural adjustments programs promoted by the international 
finance institutions.

According to the university don, "NEPAD program has ignored the notion of 
public interests, submits to values of the economy hence the return of 
individualism through self-help, self-employment, cost sharing and the 
destruction of the foundations of welfare and collective responsibility 
towards poverty, misery, sickness, misfortune, education, and so on."

Ms Basilla Urasa of the Moshi-based Network Against Female Genital 
Mutilation (NAFGEM), wondered why African Heads of State and government 
discussed the NEPAD program at continental level but not much effort had 
been put in ensuring the message was discussed at the grassroots level.

According to her, actively involving people at community level was 
important for the East African country,whose 80 percent of the 35 million 
people lived in the rural areas, mainly engaging in small-scale farming.

Tanzania's economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, which accounts for 
about 50 percent of the GDP, provides 85 percent of exports, and is by far 
the largest employer. But the state does not give subsidies to farmers.

Mr Joseph Butiku, a representative of the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation, 
reminded the government of its responsibility to subsidise farmers using 
local resources, even if the Bretton Woods institutions imposed conditions 
against such incentives.

Ms Agnes Shekifu, co-ordinator of women's work at ELCT's Dodoma diocese 
wondered how else the government could genuinely assist small-scale farmers 
"if it abandons its responsibility to subsidise agriculture."  A household 
survey in 2000 indicated that over 52 percent of Tanzanians were living 
below the basic-needs poverty line, and that more than 31 percent were 
rated below the food poverty line.

The consultation brought together around 100 people, mainly religious 
leaders from the ELCT and other churches, Christian Council of Tanzania, 
and Muslim representatives. Other participants included civil society 
representatives and government officials.

Reported by Pauline Mumia
Lutheran World Information