wfn.org | [Fwd: ZAIRE: CHURCH CAUGHT UP IN BATTLEGROUND]

[Audrey Whitefield <a.whitefield@quest.org.uk>]

Received: from TDC.dircon.co.uk (root@tdc.dircon.co.uk [194.112.32.50]) by popmail.dircon.co.uk (8.8.4/8.7.3) with SMTP id LAA08538 for <quest1@popmail.dircon.co.uk>; Tue, 21 Jan 1997 11:00:44 GMT
Received: from mailhost.dircon.co.uk by TDC.dircon.co.uk with SMTP id AA19396
  (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for <keith.whitefield@quest.org.uk>); Tue, 21 Jan 1997 11:01:29 GMT
Received: from quest6 (eng1-037.pool.dircon.co.uk [194.112.43.37]) by mailhost.dircon.co.uk (8.8.4/8.7.3) with SMTP id LAA19451 for <keith.whitefield@quest.org.uk>; Tue, 21 Jan 1997 11:04:14 GMT
Message-Id: <32E49CE0.7166@quest.org.uk>
Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 10:39:28 +0000
Reply-To: a.whitefield@quest.org.uk
Organization: Anglican Communion Office
X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.0Gold (Win95; I)
Mime-Version: 1.0
To: "keith.whitefield@quest.org.uk" <keith.whitefield@quest.org.uk>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Title:CHURCH CAUGHT UP IN WAR
Jan. 17, 1997
ANGLICAN COMMUNION NEWS SERVICE
Canon Jim Rosenthal, Director of Communications
The Anglican Communion Office
London, England

[97.1.3.13]

ZAIRE: CHURCH CAUGHT UP IN BATTLEGROUND

(John Evenson CMS and other CMS reports) In October 1996, more than one
million Rwandan Hutu refugees, displaced by the 1994 Rwandan genocide,
were
forced to move from UNHCR refugee camps in Zaire. Camouflaged in their
number were the feared Interahamwe, 70,000 Hutu militia who led the
killings of moderate Hutus and 800,000 Tutsi in Rwanda two years before.
As
the refugees and Interahamwe moved towards Rwanda the Interahamwe killed
Zairean villagers and kidnapped children to provide human shields.

In their way were people of north-eastern Zaire, among them the
Banyamulenga of Tutsi heritage. The Zairean government has often
discriminated against these people. With the expected movement of the
Hutu
Interahamwe killers the Zairean Tutsis prepared to defend themselves.

The clash came when the Hutu Interahamwe and the Zairean army were
routed
by the Zairean Tutsis. The Zairean Tutsi led rebel army is known as
AFDL,
the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire. As
the
Zairean Tutsi rebels took control of more and more of north-eastern
Zaire,
the Rwandan Hutu refugees were divided into different streams. Some of
the
refugees stopped and waited and when the Zairean Tutsis permitted them
to
move they walked back into Rwanda. Other refugees still driven by the
Interahamwe fled west to Central Zaire. As they moved, Interahamwe
killers
killed hundreds of Zairean people along the way.

The defeated Zairean army fled inland through towns like Bunia, and the
villages of Boga and Nyankunde. As they went they looted. This is the
area
where the Anglican Church of Zaire has been active working in hospitals,
water projects and schools. The people of Zaire were caught up in the
long-ongoing tragedy of Rwanda.

In Boga the Archbishop of Zaire, the Most Revd Patrice Njojo, had to go
into the bush along with the population of the town of Boga, after the
town
and the headquarters of the Church were devastated by the Zairean army.
The
fighting continued over the Christmas period. Rebels entered Nyankunde
on
20 December and later the town was bombed by Zaire military. Bunia
became a
battleground on Christmas Eve and was eventually taken by the rebel
Tutsi
army.

The Archbishop has now returned to Boga. At the time of going to press
it
is believed that the Tutsi-led rebel army is now in control of Boga and
Bunia and all the main towns in the East and they are closing in on Aru.
The Archbishop has been advised by the rebel commanders that no
expatriates
should return to these areas for the time being.

CMS asks for people to continue to pray for the Church in Zaire and for
courage and wisdom for its leaders.