wfn.org | [AACC] Dandala Speaks on Great Lakes Region Conflict in Africa

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

All Africa Conference of Churches
Nairobi, Kenya
infodesk@aacc-ceta.org

16 December 2004

"Communication and Advocacy" <infodesk@aacc-ceta.org>

REV. DR. MVUME DANDALA, THE AACC GENERAL SECRETARY SPEAKS ON THE CHURCH AND 
THE CONFLICT IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION

By Polycarp Ochilo and Akinyi L. Ogot

The continued conflicts and wars in the Great Lakes Region is a matter of 
great pain and worry to the churches in Africa.  Rev. Dr. Mvume Dandala, 
the General Secretary of the AACC has said.  The continued wars and 
conflicts he said, has continued to affect deeply the people of Rwanda, 
Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.  People he said, continue to 
be killed and displaced in a way that has far reaching consequences in the 
region and the rest of Africa.

Performing the official closing function of the joint church leaders 
consultations on Peace Building and Reconciliation at the Methodist Guest 
House in Nairobi on 9th December 2004, Dr. Dandala said, once again, there 
are worrying signs of possible military confrontations between Rwanda and 
the Democratic Republic of Congo, adding that these are not positive signs, 
they call for collective action of the International community and churches 
together now.

The churches, he said, must take lead in opposing war in the Region.  Our 
people need peace and security and the right to life and not wars.  We 
must, as people of Africa, stand together in opposing wars as the preferred 
options of resolving conflicts and misunderstanding.  Dr. Dandala appealed 
to both the Governments of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to 
move fast and restore order through dialogue and not war.

He went on to urge, the churches in Africa and the rest of the world to 
pray for a lasting peace in Africa and the rest of the world.  We should, 
he said, during these trying times, pray for the people of Rwanda, Burundi 
and the Democratic Republic of Congo.  We should remember in our prayers 
those who have so far lost their lives, the refugees and the internally 
displaced people from this region.  He urged African Governments and the 
international community to focus on the Great Lakes Region as a way of 
restoring peace in the region.

The Consultation on Peace Building and Reconciliation was jointly organized 
by four institutions:  The All Africa Conference of Churches, Fellowships 
of Christian Councils and Churches in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn 
of Africa (FECCLAHA), Eben-Ezer Ministry and Africa Evangelistic Enterprise 
(AEE).	Dr. Dandala took the opportunity to inform the church leaders that 
the AACC Executive Committee mandated the AACC to start extensive 
consultations with the church leadership in the Region to start the process 
of establishing an Ecumenical forum for the Great Lakes Region.  Earlier, 
the Consultation participants had endorsed the idea as both good and 
timely.  They also recommended that the AACC and FECCLAHA take lead in the 
facilitation process leading to the establishment of the Great Lakes 
Ecumenical Forum which shall be owned by the churches.

At the end of the consultations, the church leaders issued the following 
Pastoral Statement of concern on the unfolding events of possible military 
confrontations in the Great Lakes Regions.

PASTORAL STATEMENT OF CONCERN ON THE UNFOLDING EVENTS OF
POSSIBLE MILITARY CONFRONTATIONS IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION

We the Church Leaders from the Great Lakes Region, from Uganda, Democratic 
Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Burundi meeting at the Methodist Guest House 
Nairobi Kenya, on 8th and 9th December 2004, to deliberate on Peace 
Building and Reconciliation are alarmed by the possible military 
confrontation among the Countries in the Region.  Indeed both Rwanda and 
the Democratic Republic of Congo are reported to have ordered their forces 
for possible war!

The Nairobi Consultations on Peace Building and Reconciliation, was jointly 
organized by the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), Fellowship 
of  Christian Councils and Churches in the Great Lakes and the Horn of 
Africa (FECCLAHA), EBEN-EZER Ministry and Africa Evangelistic Enterprise
(AEE).

Having reflected on a number of critical and some core causes of conflicts 
and wars in the Region such as:-

-	  Economic Stagnation and Poverty, mistrust and suspicion between 
governments, violation of human rights, citizens marginalization from 
Political participation, illegal exploitation of natural resources, use of 
violence for conquering power, war crimes, trafficking of small arms and 
light weapons, negative armed groups among others wish to express our 
deepest concerns and regrets on the reported re-newed possible armed 
conflicts between the Government of Rwanda and the Government of the 
Democratic Republic of Congo.

We are deeply concerned that these re-newed military confrontations totally 
violates the spirit and principles of Dar-es-Salaam Declaration on Peace, 
Security, Democracy and Development on the Great Lakes which were agreed on 
and ratified by the Regions Heads of States during their First Summit of 
Heads of State and Government on 19th-20th November 2004.

Furthermore, these re-newed hostilities will directly and indirectly 
exacerbate the already worsened situations of millions of Refugees and 
Internally Displaced Persons in the Region; currently living under 
intolerable situations in extremely poor conditions without adequate 
shelter, water and Food. Besides, millions of the most vulnerable, women 
and children have so far been killed with many more affected by HIV/AIDS.

We the Church Leaders, therefore, wish to urge all the parties	to desist 
from further aggression and opt for dialogue as opposed to war.

1.		   To this end therefore, we wish to call on all the 
parties concerned, the Churches and the other Civil society Groups to 
reflect a new and re-think profoundly on some of the fundamental problems 
that have so far been identified as a way of providing a lasting and 
sustainable Peace in the Region.

2.		   Similarly, we wish to call on the Churches in the Region 
to stand in solidarity together and journey together in mobilizing citizens 
from  Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo in particular, to focus 
fully on the pending Parliamentary and Presidential Elections.	It is 
imperative that churches ensure that these governments create a conducive 
atmosphere for purposes of transparent and democratic elections that will 
meet the will of the citizens from these countries and the International 
Community.

3.		   Churches should as well take lead in the mobilization of 
Churches towards the creation of a Network for the facilitation of 
Solidarity among Churches

4.		   We, the Churches in the Region should pay great 
attention in the provision and strengthen our Information Channels and 
capacity for Information gathering, sharing and analysis.

5.		   The Churches in the Region should put in place strategic 
programmatic interventions on Peace Building and Reconciliation in the 
Region with possible linkages with other conflict areas in Africa.

6.		   We urge the Churches to think of new approaches to Peace 
Education and Curricular and Civic Education as well particularly on voting 
and Human Rights Issues.

7.		   We recommend that the AACC take lead with other Regional 
Ecumenical Institutions such as FECCLAHA in the facilitation of the 
establishment of an inclusive Ecumenical Forum for the Great Lakes to 
basically deal with urgent Advocacy Networking and Information sharing 
among the Chief Actors on Great Lakes Regions.

8.		   We the churches, collectively undertake to develop new 
Vision on the Great Lakes as a way of reinforcing the Prophetic roles and 
voice of the Church in the Region during the transitional and post 
transitional periods.

9.		   We urge that Governments of the Great Lakes Region adopt 
Democracy and Good Governance as one of he ways of ensuring and entrenching 
sustainable Peace and Security on the Region.

10.		We recommend that an expanded consultations on Peace and 
Peace Building be organised early next year as a follow up to the issued 
agreed on during this meeting.

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