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Nairobi, Kenya

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ALL AFRICA CONFERENCE OF CHURCHES
CONFERENCE DES EGLISES DE TOUTE L AFRIQUE

Our Ref:

10 February 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The World Council of Churches and the All Africa Conference of Churches
wish to congratulate the Government of Uganda on its decision to declare an
18 day truce in order to facilitate peace talks with the Lord s Resistance
Army.

We offer our prayer and support to the efforts to bring about a peaceful
end to a conflict which has brought great suffering to Northern Uganda for
the last 19 years.  We applaud the initiative led by Mrs. Betty
Bigombe.  Her steadfast commitment to pursuing a peaceful resolution in
spite of difficulties encountered is greatly encouraging.

We praise with great appreciation the courageous and prophetic witness of
the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative.	These religious leaders
have bravely stepped forward to advocate for peace.  We thank God for the
faithfulness of these religious leaders.  Further, we applaud the
commitment of our ecumenical partner, the Uganda Joint Christian Council,
and all other concerned parties which are supporting and accompanying this
process.

To the Lord s Resistance Army we strongly urge them to take advantage of
this historic opportunity to end the conflict.	This conflict has and is
causing untold hardship and suffering in the region.  It is our hope that
this time will be used to sign the cease fire agreement and to sit down at
the negotiating table where concerns can be brought forward and addressed.

It is our earnest prayer that peace will prevail.  The longer this conflict
continues the more the people of this region will suffer.  It is the
civilian population who will pay the highest price if the hostilities continue.

With the long awaited signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between
the Government of Sudan and the SPLA/M we pray that the people of Northern
Uganda will also enter in a peace which they can celebrate.

The people of Northern Uganda have known war, violence, terror,
intimidation, and displacement for too long.  An estimated 1.8 million
people are displaced, and thousands have died.	The conditions in the camps
for the displaced are harsh.  Families live in fear of their children being
forcibly abducted.  People are not allowed access to their home areas or
fields.  Now is the time for this conflict to end.

Rev. Dr. Mvume
Dandala 							 Rev. Dr.
Samuel Kobia

General
Secretary
General Secretary

All Africa Conference of
Churches					    World Council of Churches

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The All Africa Conference of Churches

"The Spiritual Pulse of the African Continent."

Founded in 1963, The All Africa Conference of Churches is an ecumenical
fellowship representing more than 120 million Christians in 39 African
countries working to make a difference in the lives of the people of Africa
through ministries of advocacy and presence on the continental, regional,
and local levels.