wfn.org | All Africa Conference of Churches Pastoral Visit to Sierra

["Carol Fouke" <carolf@ncccusa.org>]

REPORT OF THE PASTORAL VISIT TO SIERRA LEONE AND LIBERIA
By Polycarp Omolo Ochilo, AACC Executive Secretary for International Affairs
November 11, 2004
By Polycarp Omolo Ochilo, AACC Executive Secretary for International Affairs
The church must be in the forefront in the promotion of a lasting peace in
Africa. The All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) General Secretary, Rev.
Dr. Mvume Dandala has said. The church, he said, must speak out and stand
side by side with the flock, God's children, adding that God desires nothing
less than a lasting peace for his people everywhere in the world.
Rev. Dr. Dandala was addressing various church leaders, civil society
leaders and women leaders during a public forum in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
The forum was organized by the Christian Council of Sierra Leone (CCSL). The
forum's theme was "Political, Economic and Ecclesiological Challenges facing
the church in Africa". Rev. Dr. Dandala was leading the AACC delegation for
a pastoral visit to Sierra Leone and Liberia last month. The delegation
included the AACC Vice President for West Africa, Bishop Andrew Okenwa, the
Methodist Bishop from Nigeria, the AACC Executive Secretary for Ecumenical
Relations Rev. Arnold Temple and the Executive Secretary for International
Affairs, Mr. Polycarp Omolo Ochilo.
Dr. Dandala told the Forum that the AACC delegation had come to Sierra Leone
and Liberia to be in solidarity with the churches in these two countries,
and to listen to them, so that the AACC advocacy could be informed and
affirmed by their expressions.
He said, the challenges of civil wars and their consequences in the two
countries of loss of human lives of men, women and children were
unacceptable. He went on to add, that the almost total destruction of the
history and civilization of these countries through senseless destruction of
properties including sacred places are a test to our faith and our humanity.
"The church", he said, "more than any other body is best placed to deal with
these challenges. The suffering and struggles of the people of Rwanda,
Burundi, Liberia, Sierra Leone, DRC and others in troubled countries of
Africa and elsewhere, borne out of negative experiences of history and from
our own oppression with the tools of war", he said, "should make us learn
and never to surrender to the forces of tyranny that subject our people to
inhuman treatment with impunity". Instead, he said, "we have moral and
ethical obligations as church to strive to embrace those things which brings
us together and not those which separate us so that we can celebrate our
differences with dignity and confidence". The church, he went on, is
therefore, called upon to be in the forefront in using her prophetic voice
in the restoration of the African dignity and pains of wars and conflicts.
He added that, the church must also take lead in building the weaker
democratic structures in Africa, social and economic foundations, and put in
force measures against discrimination of women. He said that those vices
were so much responsible for numerous causes of instabilities in Africa.
The AACC delegation and Heads of churches in Sierra Leone also met with the
Commissioner of Anti-corruption Commission, Valentine J. Collier. Briefing
the delegation, Mr. Collier said corruption is one of the greatest
challenges facing many African governments. "If you look around in any
country and you see children looking for food from dustbins," he said, then
not only is something wrong in that country, but you are also seeing effects
of corruption at first sight. Mr. Collier challenged the church to
understand their deep roles in society. The church he said, is the
foundational source of societal values, and conscience of the state. Yet,
all we see from the church is fear, silence and sadly at times,
accommodation of societal ills!
In his response, Dr. Dandala said that the AACC was offering the churches in
Africa to all the anti-corruption governing structures in Africa to take a
serious stand against corruption. He said, that the Eighth Assembly of the
AACC in Cameroon took a critical analysis of corruption. This he said, led
to the adoption of the binding covenants on corruption collectively by the
churches in Africa.
At the end of the visit in Sierra Leone, a number of key issues critical to
the churches, the people of Sierra Leone and Africa emerged. These are
challenges relating to Advocacy and other specific forms of intervention
such as:
i the need for continuing the capacity building for the church, the public
sector, the civil society and the private sector as well. While the evidence
exists on the excellent job done so far by these groups towards the
re-building of Sierra Leone, much more needs to be done wholistically in the
whole country.
ii The continuation of the healing, reconciliation and conflict resolution
as a process of ensuring a lasting peace and peaceful co-existence of the
people of Sierra Leone, and
iii The church and state relations: It is evident that the churches in
Sierra Leone have, and continue collectively to play key roles such as
services in education, health, food, reconciliation, healing etc. The
church's presence is visible as part and parcel of the Sierra Leone Society.
Similarly, the government as the political embodiment of Sierra Leone, is
constitutionally legitimated by the people of Sierra Leone to rule the
country. It is therefore, imperative for both the church and the government
of the day to understand more profoundly that the communality of their
obligation to work for the good of people can only be sustained and in a
useful manner if they put Gods children, the people, first.
Earlier, the General Secretary of the CCSL, Alimamy Koroma who was the host
briefed the delegation on various challenges facing the Council. He said the
pains, scars and effects of the war are still visible in Sierra Leone.
However, the Council, he said, has successfully been ministering to the
Sierra Leone people. "We have and continue", he said, "to provide services
such as health, relief food, education, peace and conflict interventions as
well as taking part in a number of rehabilitation and integration programmes
for our people." Mr. Koroma appealed for continued assistance and
partnership with the people Sierra Leone.
Pastoral Visit to Liberia
At the end of the visit to Sierra Leone, the AACC delegation proceeded to
Liberia for a five days pastoral visit as well. In Liberia, Rev. Dr. Mvume
Dandala met for discussions with a number of key groups and leaders to
discuss the core issue of the need for a lasting peace in Liberia and the
role of the churches in the peace process.
The delegation met with the Chairman of the Interim Government, Charles
Gyude Bryant at the Executive Mansion in Monrovia, AACC member Churches in
Liberia, All Church Leaders in Liberia, The Executive Director, National
Commission for Disarmament, Demobilisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration
(NCDDRR), Dr. Moses C.T. Jarbo, The head of ECOWAS office in Liberia,
Ambassador Francis Blaine, Seminarians and Deans of Theological Colleges.
The delegation also visited Methodists churchs Agricultural Training Centre
outside Monrovia and three Refugee and Internally Displaced People camps,
150 Kms in Bong county in Gbarnga City. Dr. Dandala also gave two public
lecturers to all heads of churches in Liberia, the public, the seminarians
and deans of theological colleges at the Baptist Theological Seminary.
The Chairman of the Interim Government Mr. Charles Gyude Bryant told the
delegation that the Governance policies of his government is on course as
per agreements which the parties agreed to. He added that he is grateful to
the United Nations, ECOWAS and the church for their past role and what they
continue to undertake in Liberia. He said the UNMIL has done a tremendous
job on peace keeping and on the demobilization of the combatants. He went on
to add, that the role of the church in Liberia is key in the peace building
process, healing, rehabilitation and the restoration of the people as we
seek the re-integration of the ex-combatants. Our intentions as a government
he said, is to strive to ensure a lasting peace that will allow the
ex-combatants and other citizens to take advantage of "Peace and our fertile
land and utilize it for maximum economic prosperity and jobs creation".
However, Mr Bryant expressed concern at the apparent negative effects being
experienced by the government due to the effects arising from the imposed
sanctions on the exploitation of the Liberian resources.
The head of UNMIL, Dr. Jarbo said that the demobilization of the former
combatants in Liberia is going on well. "The process of voluntary
demobilization is on course so far. The voluntary phase ends on 31st
October, 2004 after which we are mandated to use force", he added.
Dr. Jarbo however, expressed difficulties relating to under-estimation of
the number of combatants by the United Nations. He said, "The UN put the
figure to a total of 38,000 combatants. Yet, on the ground the figure of
combatants are estimated to be over 110,000, of which they have so far
disarmed 98,000 former soldiers. However, some pockets have not been
disarmed and by extrapolation one sees a greater problem. The
underestimation he said, also poses critical financial implications to the
disarming process."
The Head of ECOWAS office, Ambassador Francis Blaine, said that regardless
of the current problems, the peace in Liberia is on target. ECOWAS he said,
is involved in a number of key areas to the conflict. ECOWAS he said,
continue to deal with issues relating to border transgressions in the
Region, monitoring of transborder movements of small arms and ammunitions,
taking part in regular regional meetings of the regional players. Besides,
ECOWAS, he added, operates various zonal offices in West African countries
whose primary functions include providing early warnings on possible areas
of conflicts. He said, the Liberian Council of Churches has and continues to
play key role in the peace process in Liberia. He suggested that the AACC
should be part of the Liberian Council of Churches contact group that is
planning to meet the LUD group.
At the end of the Pastoral Visit, the churches in Libria voice came out
clearly on a number of specific Advocacy issues that could be undertaken by
the churches in Africa and the international community. These are:
i Presidential elections
The Presidential elections are planned for October 2005. The churches
concern is that there is need for the international community and the people
of Liberia to ensure that the electoral process is managed well in a
peaceful and transparent manner that will be acceptable to all parties. To
this end, therefore, there is need for the enactment of the Election Reform
Bill and widely publicized election where all should participate in. There
is also need for the participation of the International Election observes
and the International Security presence in Liberia.
ii The churches in Liberia and other non-government actors need serious
capacity building in terms of financial and human expertise given the levels
of demand for services and the poor infra-structure. To this end, the head
of UNMIL Ambassador Jacques Paul Klein, called on the AACC General Secretary
Rev. Dr. Mvume Dandala to mobilize the churches in Africa to second human
expertise in different fields to Liberia.
iii That serious efforts are still needed in Liberia in the areas of
rehabilitation, reconciliation, conflict resolutions and peace building
process. The church in Africa is called upon to accompany the people of
Liberia in these crucial endeavours.
iv That there is need to speed up the disarmament and demobilization process
as a way of giving a lasting peace a chance.
v That most of the uprooted people in Liberia wish to leave the camps and go
back to their homes, some of them have been displaced twice or thrice.
However, many are afraid for their lives given the incompleteness of the
disarming of the combatants.
Earlier during a public lecture, to the Seminarians and Deans of Theological
College at the Baptist College, Dr. Dandala challenged them that Africa
needs theology that affirms hope and dignity of the African people in
themselves as the children of God. It is time, he said, that our
spirituality must be informed and affirmed by sound theological teachings
developed by the African theologians like you. African theologians, he said,
must find solutions to the ills of dictatorship, bad governance and
discrimination against women. Africa, he said, will continue to slide into
perpetual poverty, misrule and dehumanization if African theologians fail to
deliver in the 21st Century. These challenges he said, "are urgent and the
solutions to these are equally urgent. We must collectively act now or
never".
The host of the delegation, the General Secretary of the Liberian Council of
Churches, Benjamin Dormer Lartey prepared wonderful and flawless logistical
arrangements for the delegation. He ensured that all the key actors,
Government, Civil Society, Non Government Actors, the Church Leaders were
all included in Dr. Dandalas meetings. He said that this visit is both
appropriate and timely given the past recognition of the Interfaith work of
the LCC by the AACC. Our Council, he said, "won the AACC Bishop Desmond
Tutu's peace award which we deeply share and appreciate".
The Liberian Council of Churches he said, has been in the forefront of in
ensuring a lasting peace for Liberia. "We have had and continue with courage
and determination to take part in all the delicate peace negotiations with
the waring parties and the government as well" He added that "we are pleased
that peace has finally come to Liberia".
Rev. Lartey appealed for continued assistance by the Partners to the Council
in areas such as capacity building and the assistance to many Refugees and
Internally Displaced People in various camps in Liberia. He cited as
examples, camps in Bong County such as MAIMU TREE Camp 1 with 13,500 people,
EJYACY Camp 2 with 12,311 people and EJYACY camp 3 with 22,000 people
respectively. Our delegation visited these camps situated over 150 Kms
outside Monrovia.
Dr. Dandala, Rev. Okenwa and Rev. Temple preached at Local Churches on the
theme: Peace and Reconciliation Services.
For further information, please contact:
Akinyi Lucy Ogot
infodesk@aacc-ceta.org