wfn.org | All Africa News Agency Nov 10 2003 News

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

ALL AFRICA NEWS AGENCY
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AANA Bulletin				Bulletin APTA
  Editor -Elly Wamari			Editor - Silvie Alemba

AANA BULLETIN No. 44/03 November 10, 2003 News

NEWS  SECTION

African Provinces Cut Links With New Hampshire

NAIROBI (AANA) November 10 - Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria are some of the 
Anglican Provinces in Africa that have publicly severed links with the 
Diocese of New Hampshire in the United States (US), following the 
consecration of the first openly gay bishop Canon V. Gene Robinson.

Nigerian primate, Archbishop Peter Akinola, was emphatic that the majority 
of African Primates from Africa and the global south will not recognise 
Robinson as a bishop.

Archbishop Akinola, who is also the chairman of Council of Anglican 
Provinces of Africa (CAPA), an association of all the 12 Anglican provinces 
in Africa, said Robinson's consecration on November 2 demonstrated that 
parts of the United States Episcopal Church "consider their cultural-based 
agenda of far greater importance than obedience to the word of God."

He was backed by Anglican Church of Kenya Archbishop, Benjamin Nzimbi, who 
said there appeared to be differing understanding of the same Bible. "It 
appears we are two different churches!" he quipped. He immediately directed 
all the Anglican dioceses in Kenya to cut links with the Diocese of New 
Hampshire.

In Uganda, Archbishop Mpalanyi-Nkoyoyo, who leads a congregation of 8 
million, one of the highest in Africa, said ordination of homosexuals in 
the Church was unacceptable. "We do not recognise that man as a bishop," he 
said, while announcing that he too, had severed relations with the diocese.

However, Church of the Province of Southern Africa (CPSA) Archbishop, 
Njongonkulu Ndungane, congratulated the new bishop and said provinces were 
free to decide who they wanted to be bishop.

Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams, spiritual leader of the 
77-million strong Anglican Communion, deplored cutting of linkages, saying 
he still hoped that a consensus will be reached.

"It is clear that those who have consecrated Gene Robinson have acted in 
good faith on their understanding of what the constitution of the American 
church permits," he said in a statement.

"But the effects of this upon the ministry and witness of the overwhelming 
majority of Anglicans, particularly in the non-western, world have to be 
confronted with honesty," he added.

A commission that he formed last month to evaluate the crises and make 
recommendations is expected to present its findings in September 2004.

The chairman of the commission, the Most Rev Robin Eames, primate of 
Ireland, expressed optimism that a middle ground will be found.

Reported by Justus Waimiri

CMMB's Fete To Be Crowned With	Faith-Based AIDS Forum

NAIROBI/NEW YORK (AANA) November 10 - International health policy, private 
sector, and religious health care leaders will join the Catholic Medical 
Mission Board (CMMB) in New York on November 16 and 17, to honour its 75th 
Anniversary.

The observance of the anniversary will begin at a celebrated Mass of 
Thanksgiving at St. Patrick's Cathedral, led by His Eminence Edward 
Cardinal Egan, Archbishop of New York, and conclude the following day with 
a global HIV/AIDS forum and a benefit dinner.

Among those expected to attend the thanksgiving include Bishop Franklyn 
Nubusasah, Vicar Apostolic of Francistown, South Africa; Bishop Kevin 
Dowling of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference and Rev 
William J. Scanlon, SJ, director of development, Jesuit Seminary and 
Mission Bureau, and chairman of the board of CMMB.

"The vision of our founder, Dr Paluel Flagg, was to care for the most 
vulnerable by mobilising both the Catholic laity and Church leaders," said 
CMMB President and Chief Executive Officer, John F. Galbraith.

"75 years later, his legacy continues to inspire us. Today, CMMB has taken 
a leadership role to mobilise and influence governmental, faith-based, and 
non-governmental  organisations to respond to the overwhelming and urgent 
needs of those suffering from HIV/AIDS and children dying of preventable 
diseases around the world," he explained.

Global AIDS forum challenges perceptions about the role of faith-based 
organisations. On Monday, November 17, the importance of partnerships in 
shaping solutions to the HIV/AIDS pandemic will be the focus of a global 
AIDS forum under the theme, Faith, Action & Partnerships: Confronting 
Global HIV/AIDS.

CMMB is organising this forum in conjunction with the Global Health 
Council, the world's largest membership alliance dedicated to saving lives 
by improving health throughout the world.

The forum will examine the role of faith-based organisations in HIV/AIDS 
care, prevention, and treatment, as well as the significance of faith-based 
and non-faith-based partnerships.

According to a CMMB's press release dated October 27, key presenters at the 
forum will include Dr Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS and Prof. 
Mohammed Abdullah, chairperson of Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI).

"In many areas of the developing world, faith-based groups and other 
non-governmental organisations are the mainstay of health care and public 
health. On the occasion of CMMB's anniversary, discussions will examine the 
value of global health programs and the benefit they provide to those most 
in need," said Dr. Nils Daulaire, President and Chief Executive Officer of 
the Global Health Council.

Graca Machel, wife of Nelson Mandela and founder and President of the 
Foundation of Community Development, will be among the individuals to be 
honoured by the CMMB's first ever International Founder's Awards.

Reported by Henry Neondo

Preparations Are In Top Gear For Commonwealth Meetings

ABUJA (AANA) November 10 - A Commonwealth People's Forum is to be held here 
from December 1 to 7, ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 
(CHOGM), also planned for the same month.

The forum, with theme Citizens and Governance, will showcase the work and 
contributions of civil society to sustainable development, and create 
opportunities for cross-commonwealth debates and linkages on development 
issues.

Addressing journalists in Lagos on November 4, the chairperson of the Forum 
Steering Committee, Mrs Nkoyo Toyo, said that over 100 meetings will be 
held by various civil society groups, on a range of issues including 
HIV/AIDS, New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), child 
trafficking, the role of women in political process, and regional and peace 
security.

She explained that the forum will provide opportunities for civil society 
organisations to dialogue with government representatives at the CHOGM, and 
feed civil society ideas, issues and concerns into the Heads of State
meetings.

The forum, organised by the Commonwealth Foundation, will also feature an 
exhibition to promote concerned approaches to development, and a space for 
informal meetings and networking among participants.

Preparations for CHOGM, the first to be held in West Africa, are in top 
gear, with the Nigerian government promising a hitch-free hosting of the 
meeting.

Reported by Lekan Otufodunrin

Lagos Launches Discipline Campaign To Redeem Glory

LAGOS (AANA) November 10 - Worried by the poor sanitary condition of Lagos, 
Nigeria's commercial city, the state government has launched a Kick-Against 
Indiscipline (KAI) campaign to redeem the image of the city, now regarded 
as one of the dirtiest in the world.

The KAI campaign was launched on November 3 by the State Governor, Bola 
Tinubu, who declared that there would be no mercy for anyone who violated 
the new sanitation rules.

Henceforth, street trading and hawking has been banned, while 
indiscriminate dumping of refuse and failure to clean either private of 
corporate premises will attract various fees.

The State Commissioner for Environment, Tunji Bello, complained that most 
of the streets in Lagos, Nigeria's most populous city, with over 10 million 
people, have been lost to dirt and heaps of refuse.

According to him, 80 percent of the flood ravaging the state was caused by 
drainage blockages due to indiscriminate dumping of refuse.

As part of the new measures to keep the city clean, the last Saturday of 
every month will be observed as environmental cleaning days, when residents 
will be expected to spare at least three hours to clean their environment.

KAI is similar to a former national crusade, War Against Indiscipline 
(WAI), launched by a former military regime in the country.

Reported by Lekan Otufodunrin

Report Accuses Guinea Of Major Role In Liberia Conflict

MONROVIA (AANA) November 10 - Human Rights Watch has accused the government 
of Guinea of supplying the heavy weaponry used by Liberians United for 
Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), a rebel group, in their assault on 
Monrovia, in which thousands of civilians were killed.

In a report issued early last week, the New York-based group said its 
investigations revealed that two cargo planes from Iran offloaded the 
weapons in the Guinean capital, Conakry, disguised as technical equipment.

The report said the Guinean authorities were in clear violation of United 
Nations arms embargo on Liberia.

Human Rights Watch reports further that two officials of the LURD had 
admitted having the heavy weapons, including mortars, which trucked across 
the border into Liberia for the assault on Monrovia.

In July and August, LURD laid siege on the Liberian capital for several 
weeks in a bloody confrontation with poorly equipped government forces, 
during which indiscriminate shelling of the city by the rebels killed 
thousands of civilians and destroyed large parts of the city.

Meanwhile, reports from Liberia say hundreds of people have been killed in 
northeastern Nimba County, as rebels belonging to the Movement for 
Democracy in Liberia (MODEL), attacked and burned down towns and villages.

The rebel group, which is predominantly made up of former president Samuel 
Doe's Krahn tribe, regards Nimba County as immediate former president 
Charles Taylor's stronghold.

The group has been advancing from their bases in neighbouring Grand Gedeh 
County and from neighbouring Ivory Coast, seizing and destroying towns and 
villages in Nimba, despite a June cease-fire agreement.

According to the reports, towns that have been seized from demoralised 
government troops include Tappeta, Kpaytuo, Gray, and Zuatuo in the 
southeast of Nimba County.  Another town in the south-west (Bunadin), close 
to Liberia's border with Guinea, was destroyed by LURD fighters.

Heavily armed rebels have been seen roaming about.

Reported by Nernlor Gruduah

EA Legislative Assembly Moves To Resolve Fishing Hostilities

ARUSHA (AANA) November 10 - The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), 
through its Speaker, Mr Abdulrahman Omar Kinana, has promised to legislate 
against a fishing dispute that is threatening to cause bad blood in the
region.

Already, the assembly has formed a special legislative council to address 
the question of frequent arrests by Ugandan authorities, of Kenyan 
fishermen who often find themselves in Ugandan waters while seeking fish in 
Lake Victoria.

The lake, which is Africa's largest fresh water mass, is shared between the 
three East African countries.

Most of the fish in Lake Victoria believably breed in Kenya but feed in 
Uganda, making the latter an attractive fishing ground for the Kenyan 
fishermen.

Speaking during a recent regional Heads of State meeting on the New 
Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) in Nairobi, President Yoweri 
Museveni of Uganda regretted: "So whenever the Kenyan fishermen follow the 
fish, which they rightly believe is theirs, into Uganda, we arrest them."

Museveni accordingly suggested that East African states must formulate 
strategies for exploitation of resources on the lake to avoid conflicts 
over fishing.

According to Mr Mohammed Zubedi, a Kenyan legislator at the Arusha-based 
EALA, the council seeking to address the conflict shall take a critical 
look at the existing laws relating to water boundaries, and propose viable 
ways of ending the current hostilities.

The ongoing "fishing wars" have heavily hurt the fishing industry in Kenya, 
resulting in an enormous loss of export sales and jobs.

Owing to the hostilities, the country's Ksh 5 billion (US$ 63 million) per 
annum fishing industry has plummeted considerably.

Although Kenya has only six percent of the lake's surface area, it exports 
an average of 220,000 tonnes of fish annually, while Uganda, with a water 
mass eight times larger, exports 120,000 tonnes.

Reported by Oscar Obonyo

African MPs To Consolidate Efforts Against Corruption

NAIROBI (AANA) November 10 - The fight against corruption in Africa gained 
renewed commitment when African legislators gathered here from November 
3-4, under the auspices of African Parliamentarians Network Against 
Corruption (APNAC).

Participants reiterated that war on corruption should not be confined to 
the corridors of parliaments and the judiciary, but should be widespread, 
involving community participation.

The 141 parliamentarians, drawn from 14 African countries, recommended that 
parliaments must play active roles in legal and administrative reforms, as 
well as in forming institutions that would help fight corruption.

The regional conference also proposed formation of special parliamentary 
committees to look into member's ethics, such as declaration of wealth.

Observing that most of corrupt practices were linked to poverty, the 
conference urged governments to put up a spirited fight against factors 
that interfered with  socio-economic well-being of citizens.

Some parliamentarians suggested that governments should put aside funds for 
election campaigns for all candidates, irrespective of party affiliations.

"Many a times, some candidates have been forced into corrupt practices in 
search of money for campaign purposes. This could be averted by governments 
allocating funds for campaigns," observed a delegate in one of the plenary 
sessions.

On public procurement, the conference recommended that APNAC should come up 
with inspectorate teams, which will visit countries to check if they were 
adhering to prescribed procurement rules.

Officially opening the conference, whose theme was New Challenges in the 
Fight Against Corruption, Kenya's President, Mwai Kibaki, stated: "We are 
partners in the common struggle, to bring an end to the culture of 
corruption across Africa, as this culture has brought poverty to our people 
and shame to us, as leaders".

He went on: "Let us work together towards the day when integrity, and not 
the size of one's bank account, is a better qualification to parliament. 
Let us work together for the day when, as members of parliament, we can say 
we have been elected because of the vision we impart, rather than the cash 
we dish out, for our ability to convince the mind, rather than satisfy the 
stomach."

The meeting saw the election of Ugandan parliamentarian, Augustine 
Ruzindana, as APNAC chairman.

Reported by Osman Njuguna

Malawi Churches Now Espouse Condom Use In War On AIDS

BLANTYRE (AANA) November 10 - In a bold move that contradicts the 
conservative stand taken by most churches here, World Alive Ministries, a 
Pentecostal church, has revealed that it is now giving condoms to 
HIV-infected couples, through its Intervention Counselling and Care (ICOCA) 
project.

George Kukhala, field officer for ICOCA, has however, stated that the 
condom distribution project strictly targets couples, pointing out that the 
youth are only encouraged to abstain until they enter into marriage.

"We know there is still a strong stand by other churches against the use of 
condoms. While they have negative attitude, we look at the initiative 
positively," said Kukhala.

Another Pentecostal church, the Salvation Army, has launched a campaign to 
discourage their faithful from engaging in some cultural practices and 
beliefs that could promote the transmission of HIV/AIDS.  They are also 
providing condoms to members.

Some ethnic groups still conduct a sexual ritual known as kuchotsa fumbi, 
which involves forcing young boys and girls to have sex as a way of 
introducing them to the "adult world", soon after graduating from cultural 
initiation rites.

In other communities, a widowed woman has to engage in a sexual intercourse 
with a selected man, supposedly to ebb away misfortunes, before she is 
allowed to re-marry. The practice is called kulowa kufa.

Considering the danger of these persistent traditions, which violate the 
rights of women and children, and put them to risk of contracting HIV, the 
Salvation Army encourages condom use.

Said Ephraim Maida, a volunteer supervisor on an HIV project of the church, 
recently:  "At first, followers resisted the move, but now they can 
understand. As a church, we have a duty to empower our members physically 
and spiritually."

The Roman Catholic church, unlike the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian 
(CCAP), which recognises condom use by couples and encourages abstinence 
among the youth, is still not comfortable with the idea.

When a reporter recently solicited a comment from Fr Robert Mwaungulu, 
spokesman for the Episcopal Conference of Malawi, a Catholic bishops forum, 
the response was terse and marked with apprehension. "The matter is too 
sensitive to be discussed on the phone," said Fr Mwaungulu.

The Moderator of the Blantyre Synod of CCAP, Rev McDonald Kadawati, said 
they had no problem with making condoms available to couples, if it meant 
saving lives.

"But we differ on the issue of the church being at the forefront, 
distributing them. As for couples, they can make private arrangements to 
get the condoms, and not the Church," he pointed out.

The latest developments suggest that a number of churches are pulling out 
of an earlier declaration by the faith community in Malawi.

Through an HIV/AIDS faith community task force, religious groups 
unanimously resolved to put in place a policy banning promotion of condoms 
on radio, television, newspapers, and public posters.

The move created fear that efforts by government and other institutions to 
stem the spread of the disease was going to be frustrated.

Meanwhile, the northern region of Malawi's Livingstonia Mission of the CCAP 
is distributing nevirapine, an antiretroviral drug, to HIV positive mothers 
in order to reduce mother to child transmission of HIV.

Deputy secretary general for the synod, Rev Ted Mwambira, said that 
previously, mothers had to travel all the distance to Lilongwe, the 
country's capital in the central region, to get the drugs.

"The programme has seen more women coming for voluntary HIV testing, which 
was sparsely patronised before," said Mwambira.

About 10 percent of Malawi's population is said to be infected with 
HIV.  The virus has so far led to the death of more than 500,000 lives 
since 1985, when the first case was reported.

Reported by Hobbs Gama

Botswana Ministry Introduces Weekly HIV/AIDS Prayers

GABORONE (AANA) November 10 - In a move aimed at expressing solidarity with 
people directly affected by HIV/AIDS, Botswana's agriculture ministry has 
resolved to hold HIV/AIDS prayers every Tuesday morning, instead of once a 
year, as was the case previously.

Mmapula Modise, the ministry's permanent secretary, said on November 2 that 
the prayers will be for five minutes between 7:25 and 7:30 am.

Botswana has the highest rate of HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa. About 
38 percent of people aged between 16 and 49 years are infected. Stigma 
related to HIV/AIDS is still high in the country.

"We have decided on the switch from once a year to every Tuesday, after 
taking into consideration the high mortality rate in the society due to 
AIDS," said Modise, adding: "We hope the prayers will make people identify 
with people with the virus."

She said HIV/AIDS was causing havoc in the agricultural sector, noting that 
the age group experiencing the highest HIV infection rate (16 to 49 years) 
was the backbone of the sector.  "Without this age group, the gains we have 
made in the agricultural sector will all be eroded away, and this will 
render many of us unemployed," she observed.

The bulk of the country's 1.6 million population relies on agriculture, 
especially cattle ranching, for a livelihood.

While the Botswana government has launched an all-out war against the 
pandemic, Modise regretted that discrimination and stigma were major 
stumbling blocks in efforts to curb the spread of the disease.

Reported by Rodrick Mukumbira

Report Paints Gloomy Picture For Southern Africa Region

HARARE (AANA) November 10  - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) 
has said that 6.5 million people in Southern Africa will face severe hunger 
at the most critical time of next year, unless it receives immediate
donations.

In a recent statement, the relief agency said more than two thirds of 
people in need of food aid were in Zimbabwe, where a series of droughts, 
and economic collapse blamed on the unstable political environment, have 
resulted in severe food shortages.

"Generous contributions have helped to stave off immediate cuts in WFP food 
distributions, but from January, countries across the region are confronted 
by the three-month lean season," said Mike Sackett, WFP Regional Director 
for southern Africa.

"Supplies of locally produced food in critical areas will be scarce and 
people's ability to cope is already limited because of the food shortages 
of recent years," he continued.

The regional food situation is further complicated by the fact that 
southern Africa has the highest HIV prevalence in the world.

There has been an alarming increase in the number of households headed by 
children, the chronically ill or grandparents. Moreover, because HIV/AIDS 
has devastated agricultural productivity, food shortages and chronic 
poverty are likely to persist for many years to come.

"If we are ever to turn this situation around, we need to ensure those with 
HIV/AIDS have access to life-sustaining food so that families survive," 
Sackett said, noting: "Once the family unit starts to unravel, social and 
economic problems pitch people - many of them children - into a calamity 
from which it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to emerge."

WFP has been carrying out emergency food support in the region since 
2001.  The peak of the operations was reached last year, when 10.2 million 
people received WFP food aid.

Reported by Bhekisipho Nyathi

Another Mysterious Death Strikes Somali Peace Talks

NAIROBI (AANA) November 10 - Death has one gain struck the on-going Somali 
National Reconciliation Conference here.

38-year-old delegate, Ahmed Rashid Mohamed of the Rahanweyn Resistance Army 
(RRA), one of the participating political parties in the peace talks, was 
found dead within the precincts of the conference venue in the early hours 
of Thursday last week (November 6).

A statement from Ambassador John Lanyasunya, on behalf of Kenya's Special 
Envoy for Somalia and chairman of IGAD Facilitation Committee, confirmed 
the death.  "It is with deep sorrow and sadness that we announce the 
untimely death of Mr. Ahmed Rashid Mohamed," said the statement.

In an apparent move to cool down tension the statement, addressed to 
delegates at the peace talks, appealed for calm and stated: "We want to 
assure you, however, that no stone will be left unturned to ascertain 
whether the late Ahmed either died of natural causes or otherwise."

It went on: "In the meantime and until this case has been resolved, 
security will be strengthened in the conference venue and areas of 
accommodation of delegates in particular."

According to reports Mohamed, who had been up and about on the material 
day, suddenly dropped down as he walked along a pavement at the conference 
venue, and died.

As at going to press, anxiety had gripped the delegates, many of them 
speculating that Mohamed could have been poisoned by people opposed to his 
political inclination.

This is not the first time mysterious death has struck the Somalia peace 
conference.

On October 19, Mr Ibrahim Ali Abdulleh, a delegate at the peace talks, was 
found murdered alongside two Kenyans of Somali origin, Mr. Hassan Abdurahim 
Mohamed and Mr. Mohamed Eley, near Ngong Town, only a few kilometres away 
from the conference venue.

The late Abdulleh was reportedly described as a key figure in the peace 
talks and was among the first members of the Transitional National 
Government (TNG) to attend the conference.  The motive of the murder has 
not been established to date.

Reported by Osman Njuguna

Journalism Trainees Launch Awareness Mission On AIDS

NAIROBI (AANA) November 10 - Institutions of higher learning offering 
training in journalism have come together to involve student in the 
creation of awareness about HIV\AIDS.

The Forum for Young Journalists Against AIDS in Kenya (FYJAK), which is a 
creation of Public Relations and Journalism students at the Kenya 
Polytechnic, has embarked on a programme to involve young people in AIDS 
awareness promotion.

According to David Mudola, Executive Director of FYJAK, young people should 
take care of their own. "The message gets home quicker when people talk the 
same language. Students should talk to each other about this disease in 
order to minimise infection," he asserted.

"Our main aim is to sensitise people about HIV/AIDS and to offer material 
and moral support to the infected ones .... The youth need a voice in the 
education of the public about this disease," he continued.

With support of the Union of National Radio and Television Organisations of 
Africa (URTNA), FYJAK is conducting research at a Children's Home in 
Nairobi, which will allow them to record programmes with the orphaned 
children.

Kassim Mambo, Public Relations Officer of NACC, said at a recent seminar 
organised by FYJAK that students were vulnerable to infection due to the 
change of environment. "When they come, in they are morally upright, but 
different friends and the sudden freedom changes them," he noted.

According to Duncan Khahemba, Secretary General of FYJAK, journalists 
should not only disseminate information about AIDS but also take the 
initiative to involve themselves practically in the creation of awareness.

Reported by Margaret Nyingi