LWF General Secretary Condemns Zimbabwean Government Brutality on Its Own People Noko's Letter to African Union Chairperson Urges Intervention
GENEVA, 18 March 2007 (LWI) - The General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation, Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, has strongly condemned the Zimbabwean governmentâs unprecedented brutality, oppression and attacks upon its own people, in their mounting calls for political change.
In a 15 March letter to the African Union (AU) chairperson, Ghanaian President John Kufuor, the LWF general secretary pointed out that the recent attacks on participants in peaceful demonstrations and expressions of resistance "show that the government of Zimbabwe is prepared to use the instruments of State power against its own people in complete disregard for their human rights and for the governmentâs own constitutional responsibilities."
"Mr President, I appeal to you to do all in your power to exert influence upon the government of Zimbabwe to change its self-destructive course, to cease its attacks upon its own people, to correct its failed economic policies, and to reverse its aggressive isolationism," wrote Noko, himself Zimbabwean.
The LWF general secretary expressed his earnest hope and prayer that "the community of African nations can mobilize to help save Zimbabwe, to restore hope to its people, to revive Zimbabwe as the model and inspiration it once was, and to restore faith in African leadership in the world."
The LWF has a member church in Zimbabwe, the 150,000-member Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe. It also supports humanitarian and development co-operation there as in many other countries. (252 words)
The full text of Dr Nokoâs letter to the AU chairperson follows:
H.E. President John Kufuor Chairperson, African Union The Castle Osu, Accra Ghana
15 March 2007
Your Excellency,
I write on behalf of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) - a Federation of 140 member churches in 70 countries, representing approximately 66.7 million people - to express the deepening concern and distress of our world-wide constituency with regard to the rapidly deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe. The LWF has a member church in Zimbabwe, and also supports humanitarian and development co-operation activities in the country (as in many other countries in Africa).
As an international organization of churches, we stood in strong solidarity with the struggle for freedom and independence for Zimbabwe. We have ever since sought to assist the people of Zimbabwe as they strove for human development for their communities and nation. It is therefore with a special sense of grief and loss that we observe the current circumstances in which Zimbabwean people must struggle for a dignified life.
The national economy is in a widely acknowledged state of collapse. Hyper-inflation is robbing the nation of its wealth and its people of the means to provide for their families, and seriously undermining the capacities of international organizations such as ours to offer help to the suffering people. Ordinary Zimbabweans no longer feel secure in their own country, and many are crossing the border and becoming refugees. The grievances of the people with regard to poverty, unemployment, security, and abuse of power represent fundamental failures of government.
At the same time, the government of Zimbabwe is responding to the mounting calls for change and reform with unprecedented brutality and oppression. The attacks upon opposition leaders, human rights workers and journalists are mounting daily in number and severity. The recent incidents on 11 March 2007 and subsequently, in which participants in peaceful demonstrations and expressions of resistance have been imprisoned, attacked, wounded and killed, show that the government of Zimbabwe is prepared to use the instruments of State power against its own people in complete disregard for their human rights and for the gover nment's own constitutional responsibilities.
We are, in short, witnessing the destruction of the dream that led to Zimbabwe's freedom and independence. The suffering of the people is now such that no further delay can be contemplated. The insecurity threatening the people of Zimbabwe also threatens the whole region. And in addition to destroying his own people and the image of his country, Mr Mugabe's actions are destroying all possibilities for rebuilding the image of African political leadership in general.
It is noteworthy that the police action on 11 March 2007 was against participants in a peaceful prayer meeting. I draw your attention to the initiatives that churches in Zimbabwe are taking to promote justice and peace in such a difficult and dangerous context, including through the Ecumenical Peace Initiative which recently presented specific proposals to President Mugabe in a document entitled 'A New Vision'.
Mr President, I appeal to you to do all in your power to exert influence upon the government of Zimbabwe to change its self-destructive course, to cease its attacks upon its own people, to correct its failed economic policies, and to reverse its aggressive isolationism.
It is my earnest hope and prayer that the community of African nations can mobilize to help save Zimbabwe, to restore hope to its people, to revive Zimbabwe as the model and inspiration it once was, and to restore faith in African leadership in the world.
Yours faithfully,
Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko General Secretary
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(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF currently has 140 member churches in 78 countries all over the world, with a total membership of nearly 66.7 million. The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and interfaith relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.)
[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the LWF's information service. Unless specifically noted, material presented does not represent positions or opinions of the LWF or of its various units. Where the dateline of an article contains the notation (LWI), the material may be freely reproduced with acknowledgment.]
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