wfn.org | All Africa News Agency Jan 12 2004 News

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

ALL AFRICA NEWS AGENCY
P. O Box, 66878, 00800 Westlands, NAIROBI, Kenya
Tel: 254-2-4442215 or 4440224; Fax: 254-2-4445847, or 4443241
Email: aanaapta@nbnet.co.ke

AANA BULLETIN No. 01/04 January 12, 2004 News

AANA Bulletin			Bulletin APTA
Editor -Elly Wamari		Editor - Silvie Alemba

NEWS  SECTION

High Hopes For Peace In Region As New Year Begins

NAIROBI (AANA) January 12 - Last week's signing of a wealth sharing 
agreement between the Sudan government and the main rebel movement, the 
Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), has strengthened hopes 
expressed a few days earlier, that on-going peace efforts in the Horn of 
Africa region will bear fruits this year.

The two warring partiers signed a 24-paged pact that will enable the 
government in the north and a proposed governing authority in the south of 
Sudan to proportionately share oil revenues.

The document spelling out the agreement was signed in Kenya's Naivasha town 
(about 85 kilometres from Nairobi) on January 7, by leaders of the peace 
talks delegations, namely Commander Nhial Deng Nhial, for SPLM/A, and Idris 
Mohamed Abdelgadir, for the Khartoum government.

During the ceremony, both Dr John Garang, the leader of SPLM/A, and Ali 
Osman Taha, Sudan's First Vice-President, noted that the event heralded the 
realisation of peace in the country.  The event strongly reflected  the 
optimism that had been expressed earlier.

On January 5, Kenya's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Stephen Kalonzo 
Musyoka, who is also chairman of the Ministerial Committee of the 
Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) had observed: "The 
on-going peace talks on Sudan in Naivasha between representatives of 
Khartoum government and the SPLM/A is quite promising.

"The momentum on deliberations is both high and hopeful.  Things are 
progressively making forward steps, and if that is anything to go by, then 
we can hopefully look at 2004 as the [year in which] players will get to 
the final lap."

On Somalia, Mr Musyoka noted:  "Here, we are once again witnessing positive 
fruits, as the peace talks are about to enter their third phase and 
possibly the final one this year".

The Somalia talks are scheduled to re-open mid this month.  According to 
the minister, the discussions will be centred on the creation of an 
inclusive assembly, whose members will be drawn from the peace talks
delegates.

"This is yet another pointer for us. We hope the game will come to an end 
this year, and signs are quite on the wall," he stated.

IGAD Chairman, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda spent time in Kenya last 
Thursday and Friday to oversee matters related to Somalia peace talks.

An analyst of the Sudanese talks noted that "the idea that the issue (peace 
negotiation) is likely to bear the intended fruits this year is not 
far-fetched, taking into consideration that close to 80 percent of the 
entire business has been tackled".

Mr Awad Ashara, a delegate at the Somali peace talks is as hopeful as Mr 
Musyoka on a possible breakthrough on peace negotiations on his country 
this year.

"Despite some reservations due to some internal differences among the 
negotiating leaders, I am as hopeful as the Kenyan minister," he told AANA 
in an interview.

Reported by Osman Njuguna

Embattled Burundi Rebels Now Make Overtures To Govt

BUJUMBURA (AANA) January 12 - The hard-line Hutu rebel group blamed for the 
December 29 murder of the Vatican envoy to Burundi, Monsignor Michael 
Courtney, has agreed to talk to the Burundian president to end 10 years of 
civil war.

At the same time, the Forces for National Liberation (FNL) has lifted a 
threat issued against the Archbishop of Bujumbura, Simon Ntamwana, after he 
accused the group of killing the Vatican Ambassador in an ambush.

FNL had given the archbishop a 30-day ultimatum to leave the country.  "We 
ask the Catholic Church in Rome to find another host country for Simon 
Ntamwana in the coming days," the group was quoted as having said in a 
statement.

Monsignor Courtney, 58, from Ireland, was shot three times while travelling 
in an FNL stronghold.  But the rebels, denying responsibility for the 
murder, in turn blamed the Tutsi-dominated army for the clergyman's death.

The Vatican Ambassador was said to have been travelling by car with three 
other people, when their vehicle was sprayed with bullets in Minago, Bururi 
Province.

The other occupants reportedly escaped unscathed or with minor 
injuries.  The ambassador succumbed to his wounds before he could be 
airlifted out of the country for further treatment. The envoy's murder 
outraged Burundian President, Domitien Ndayizeye, who also pointed a finger 
at the rebels.	He has vowed to bring the killers to justice.

Making their overtures to President Ndayizeye last Monday (January 5), the 
rebels said they were now willing to talk to end the 10-year civil war, 
which has claimed more than 300,000 lives in the central African country.

The FNL was the only group that refused to sign a peace agreement mediated 
by South Africa, and has since continued fighting government forces.

The larger rebel group, Forces for the Defence of Democracy (FDD) and the 
government signed a peace deal during a regional summit in Tanzania last 
November, paving the way for a new government of national unity, to 
accommodate members of the rebel groups.

Reported by Nernlor Gruduah

Sermons On  Good Governance Mark Polls Prayers In Malawi

BLANTYRE (AANA) January 12 - Over 30 religious institutions from across 
Malawi have conducted inter-denomination prayers to set off the country on 
a good note, ahead of general elections slated for May 18.

The prayers, which were organised by Churches Development Co-ordinating 
Committee (CDCC), an arm of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi, were held 
here on January 4.  They touched on social and economic issues, with 
concerns over political violence featuring prominently on the sermon.

Although the organisers did not extend invitations to political parties, 
top opposition political leaders attended the prayers in their personal 
capacities.

The theme of the event, which also served as a means of educating the 
masses on the forthcoming general elections, was, God Heal Our land.

The churchmen cited "poor governance and party-sponsored violence" as 
factors that hampered socio-economic development of the country.

They took turns to pray for the election of a God-fearing leader, who would 
uphold the rule of law and protect the country's institutions.

Philip Mbeta of the Roman Catholic Church, accused the government of 
promoting chiefs for political gains, and of randomly establishing 
districts for the same reasons.

The newly created districts, he said, remained undeveloped, despite 
increasing the number of parliamentarians.

Mbeta questioned the wisdom of the government increasing state visits, 
instead of pumping money into schools to enable them open in time.

He was alluding to the delayed opening of public secondary schools in the 
country, as well as the polytechnic in Blantyre, due to lack of funds.	The 
polytechnic, a constituent college of the University of Malawi, is in a 
serious financial crisis.

The development has forced the management of the college to postpone 
opening day for this year's first semester.

Just like other constituent colleges of the University of Malawi, the 
polytechnique has of late been facing financial difficulties due to either 
delayed or lack of government funding.

The registrar made no mention of the financial crisis facing the 
institution, and officials from the college would not be drawn to comment 
on the matter.

But government sources indicate that the Ministry of Education owes the 
polytechnic Malawi Kwacha 60 million (about US$ 600,000).

These incidents have time and again erupted into violence by students 
complaining of having had their time wasted in prolonged closures because 
of government's failure to release money for running the college.

Recently, a group of irate students from the polytechnic blocked the 
entrance to the campus after officials from the Malawi Telecommunications 
Limited (MTL) cut the college's phone lines due to outstanding bills.

Reported by Hamilton Vokhiwa

AIDS Expert Takes Faith Healers To Task Over Pandemic

BLANTYRE (AANA) January 12 - A number of religious institutions in Malawi 
are at pains to justify their actions on members who are living with
HIV/AIDS.

An end-of-the-year meeting here, organised by the Malawi Network for people 
living with HIV/AIDS (MANET), attracted controversy over allegations that 
some churches ex-communicated members who tested HIV-positive, on grounds 
that their infection was due to immoral behaviour.

One of the key speakers at the meeting was Linsey Misoya, a senior 
counsellor for Malawi AIDS Counselling Organisation (MACRO).

She alleged that some churches ex-communicated people living with HIV/AIDS, 
while others refused to officiate marriages if a member of the wedding 
couple was found to be HIV-positive and the other negative.

Misoya, whose organisation also conducts voluntary HIV testing services, 
accused unnamed churches of confusing people by claiming that they could 
cure AIDS.

She revealed that many people living with HIV were flooding MACRO premises 
for blood re-tests after being told by church leaders that they had been 
healed during "deliverance sessions".

She pointed out that as much as religious organisations were more 
knowledgeable on matters of faith and spirituality, her organisation, 
MACRO, specialised in HIV/AIDS issues, noting that for the battle against 
AIDS to be won, faith groups and AIDS organisations needed to speak one 
language.

"So why do churches promise AIDS patients healing when 'experts on the 
matter' say there is no cure to the pandemic?" posed Misoya.

She regretted that HIV/AIDS patients, who failed to be cured after several 
attempts at "deliverance sessions", were told by church leaders that they 
lacked "faith".

There were mixed reactions to Misoya's assertions from various church
leaders.

Rev Macdonald Kadawati, who is the Moderator of the Church of Central 
Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Synod of Blantyre, said churches dealt mainly 
with spiritual and not physical healing.  "As a church, we know that AIDS 
has no cure. But God can do anything, anytime, anywhere. So, we cannot 
completely dismiss physical healing," he said.

Rev Kadawati, however, cautioned "miracle workers" against presuming that 
all those they laid hands on got healed.  He reiterated that healing hinged 
on faith and that faith being subjective, not everyone could be healed by it.

Rev Kadawati's remarks were echoed by the head of Charismatic Renewal 
Ministries, Mark Kambalazaza.

Kambalazaza, a former Catholic priest who renounced his priestly vows two 
years ago to become a charismatic pastor, said: "Even in the time of Jesus, 
some were healed, others not."

Pastor Luckwell Mtima of the Zambezi Evangelical Church shared the same 
view. According to him, history is replete with examples of people who got 
healed of AIDS. Even though he did not give specific examples, many people 
have given testimonies of how they were healed from various diseases "in 
the name of Jesus".

Keith Banda, a pastor in one of Malawi's charismatic Pentecostal churches, 
Living Waters, said "AIDS is like any other disease. As such, we believe 
Jesus can cure any disease, including AIDS".

Pastor Banda also spoke on marriage between spouses of different HIV 
sero-status.  "As a church, we perform rites on behalf of God. We have no 
mandate to stop those who are committed to one another from exchanging 
vows. As a church, we believe in the commission of Jesus, which says: 'Come 
all who are heavily laden'," he said.

But Kambalazaza had a different view: "It is wrong to tell those infected 
with HIV to go ahead with marriage. Why should one commit oneself to 
problems?" he queried.

He, however, described the practice of ex-communicating people infected 
with HIV as satanic. This view was shared by Rev Kadawati, who described it 
as "un-Christian".

Reported by Hamilton Vokhiwa

  Striking Zimbabwean Doctors Finally Get Back To Work

BULAWAYO (AANA) January 12 - Striking health personnel in Zimbabwe ended 
their two-and-a-half months strike last week, after the government promised 
to review their salaries and improve their working conditions within two 
months.

But the doctors and nurses warned that they will go back on strike should 
the government fail to honour its promise.

Phibeon Manyanga, the doctors' association president, said last Tuesday 
that they had seen it prudent to resume work after the government promised 
to "sincerely" address their grievances.

"I can safely assure the nation that doctors have resumed work, and its now 
upon the responsible ministry to see to it that our demands are met in less 
than two months' time," said Manyanga.

He continued: "Failure to that, we will yet again embark on another job 
action, which will undeniably throw the health sector into an unimaginable 
quandary," .

Doctors and nurses are demanding a salary increment by a whooping 8,000 
percent. The Ministry of Health and Child Welfare had initially refused to 
award them as much, saying their demands were unreasonable.

David Parirenyatwa, the responsible minister, had further said the demands 
were premised on black market rates.

Some doctors who were reluctant to resume work despite a call by their 
leadership to do so, expressed reservations about the government's 
sincerity to award them the 8,000 percent increment they were demanding.

"Considering the government's record of reneging on its promises, it 
remains to be seen whether they are really serious this time round. The 
situation is really bad," remarked a doctor in Bulawayo.

Junior and middle level doctors in the country have been on strike since 
October last year, over poor pay packages.  According to health experts, 
the action has had a detrimental impact on the country's health sector, 
already reeling from staff and drug shortages due to poor remuneration and 
a persistent deficit in foreign currency.

Most qualified health personnel have opted for better-paying jobs abroad. 
On average, the country looses an estimated 200 doctors and nurses to 
neighbouring countries every year.

Reported by Ntungamili Nkomo

Experts Propose Regional Plan To Fight Money Laundering

BLANTYRE (AANA) January 12 - Financial technocrats from member countries of 
the Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) have proposed the 
formation of a syndicate to combat financial crime in the banking sector.

The proposal was advanced by delegates to a five-day international workshop 
on bank fraud awareness, in Malawi's commercial hub, Blantyre.

A representative of the COMESA Bankers Association  in Malawi, Geoff 
Gondwe,  said  as countries in the region enjoy free trade, they encounter 
negative consequences in the integration of the banking sector due to 
corruption and fraud.

Gondwe added that the opening of borders and the liberalisation of movement 
of goods, people and money, gave fraudsters an opportunity to strike.

He explained that fraud is the greatest concern in as far as the banking 
industry is concerned, hence the need to come up with specific solutions 
related to the causes of fraud in the region.

The workshop, which was organised by the COMESA Bankers Association, 
attracted participants from the National Bank of Malawi, Anti-Corruption 
Bureau, Stanbic Bank , Malawi Revenue Authority, Nedbank, Pride Africa, as 
well as bankers from Zambia.

Malawi's Deputy Minister for Home Affairs and Internal Security, Andrew 
Chioza, who delivered the keynote address, challenged COMESA member 
countries to act in unison to fight fraud, corruption and money laundering 
in banks, which, he said, resulted in loss of huge amounts of money.

COMESA countries, including Malawi, are trying to root out corruption in 
the region.

According to Chiwoza, corruption and fraud in the region has negatively 
affected the already suffering economies, and has especially targeted the 
banking sector.

Reported by Hamilton Vokhiwa

Church Heads Call For Stable, Corrupt-Free Polity In Nigeria

LAGOS (AANA) January 12 - Religious leaders in Nigeria have advised 
government officials in the country to take necessary steps to stabilise 
the nation's polity in the New Year.

In various New Year messages, Church leaders expressed concern about the 
high level of disaffection in the country over various issues, and urged 
the government to prevent any potential political crisis.

The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Cardinal Anthony Olubunmi Okogie, 
observed that the nation seemed to be heading for a "civilian 
dictatorship", which must be checkmated.

"The States are being denied their federal allocations, muzzling of the 
national assembly is on, manipulation of election and weakening of the 
labour union is another emerging trend, " Okogie noted.

He called on political leaders to desist from acts that may plunge the 
country into chaos in 2004, which he described as a "year of grace".

The Cardinal urged the government to step up the war against corruption and 
heed the call for a national conference to address the growing political 
discontent in the country.

The Methodist Bishop of Lagos, Dr Sunday Makinde, in his message on January 
1 appealed to bad leaders in the country to retrace their steps to give the 
suffering majority the succour they need.

Makinde reminded privileged Nigerians to use their resources to cushion the 
plight of the poor, and decried the situation in which some few Nigerians 
wallow in wealth, while the majority suffer.

He made reference to the extravagant lifestyles of members of the political 
class, who believe in flagrant display of ill-gotten wealth at the expense 
of the poor electorate who voted them into office.

In his message, the Secretary General of the Nigeria Baptist Convention 
(NBC), Dr Ademola Ishola, warned that there should be no sacred cow in the 
government anti-corruption crusade.

While commending the recent arrest of some top politicians and government 
officials over corruption, Ishola said the searchlight must be beamed on 
all sectors of the economy and projects.

"It is important that the efforts to sanitise the nation against the 
endemic problem of corruption should not be cosmetic and isolated, but 
(should be) that which touches all areas of our lives," he observed in a 
statement.

Reported by Lekan Otufodunrin

Speculation Over  Cold-Blood Murder Of Baptist Missionary

NAIROBI (AANA) January 12 - An American Baptist missionary was shot dead in 
cold-blood by unidentified gunmen in the western Kenyan town of Malaba, 
near the country's border with Uganda.

According to reports, Pastor Paul Arnold Richie, 62,was shot on the night 
of December 30, when the gunmen burst into the house in which he was 
staying together with other church officials.

One of his hosts, Pastor John Otieno, told reporters that Pastor Richie, 
who hailed from Maryland in the United States (US), was visiting the area, 
and was expected to travel to Uganda the following day.

The missionary worked for the World Outreach Baptist Church in Kenya and 
eastern Uganda.

On the fateful night, three men, one wielding an AK-47 assault rifle, 
another armed with a panga and the other with a knife, burst into the 
house, demanding US dollars.

They then chased his Kenyan hosts into the kitchen, and ordered them to lie 
down.

  It was not clear what transpired after they were separated, but according 
to Pastor Otieno, the attackers suddenly sprayed the missionary with 
bullets, killing him instantly.  They are believed to have fled into Uganda.

Pastor Otieno pointed out that the gunmen did not take any valuables, and 
wondered why the missionary, who had only been in the country for about one 
month after arriving from the US, was targeted.

Reported by Nernlor Gruduah

Madagascar Moves To Form An Economically-Friendly Cabinet

ANTANANARIVO (AANA) January 12 - The Malagasy Prime Minister, Jacques 
Sylla, has carried out a ministerial reshuffle aimed at forming a leaner 
government that conforms with the economic situation in the country.

Accordingly, the process, carried out last Monday (January 5), was marked 
by a reduction of the Cabinet by three positions.  The new Cabinet 
structure consists of 17 ministers and two Secretaries of State, instead of 
the 22 ministers in the former outfit.

According to the Prime Minister, the reshuffle is aimed at improving 
efficiency of the Cabinet.

Some of the ministries that have been merged include the Ministry of Higher 
Education and Scientific Research, and the Ministry of Secondary Education 
and Primary Education.	The resulting ministry from this merger will now be 
called Ministry of National Education and Research.

The Ministry of Culture and that of tourism have been joined to form the 
Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Reported by Shar