wfn.org | African Ecumenical Council Leader Addresses Great Lakes

["Carol Fouke" <cfouke@ncccusa.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
Nairobi, Kenya -- 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 fForum 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.

For further information, please contact: Akinyi Lucy Ogot, All Africa
Conference of Churches Communications and Advocacy Office, Email:
infodesk@aacc-ceta.org; Tel: 254 - 20 - 4441483, 4441338/9 7 Fax: 254 - 20-
4443241, 4445835