wfn.org | Liberian Lutheran Bishop Urges Forgiveness for Former

["Frank Imhoff" <Frank_Imhoff@elca.org>]

Liberian Lutheran Bishop Urges Forgiveness for Former Combatants
Testimony Bears Witness to Violation of Children's Basic Rights

MONROVIA, Liberia/GENEVA, 30 July 2004 (LWI)  - "Let us forgive them"
is the plea from Bishop Sumoward Harris of the Lutheran Church in
Liberia (LCL), urging communities to embrace former combatants and
welcome them back into their midst. Speaking to Lutheran World
Information, the bishop stressed that much sensitization is needed
before reintegration can succeed, especially with the record of
ex-combatants who have killed, raped and looted during the 14-year
Liberian civil war. 

Bishop Harris also spoke of fears expressed by some child and youth
ex-combatants about returning to their communities. "They told me that
some of their fellow combatants were killed after disarming. And so they
were concerned about what will happen to them after they disarm," Harris
reported. 

Reflecting the church's commitment to building sustainable peace in
Liberia, an LCL trauma, healing and reconciliation team has been working
with disarmed ex-combatants in the two cantonment camps operated by the
Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Department for World Service (DWS)
Liberia Program. These camps and two others have been selected for the
United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL)-led process of Disarmament,
Demobilization, Rehabilitation and Re-integration. The church's presence
in local communities provides an essential link for the success of the
program. 
 
According to the head of UNMIL, Jacques Paul Klein, more than 38,000
ex-combatants have gone through the disarmament process since it began
in December 2003. The comments of a rebel commander, John Tamba, are
hopeful, when he says that the time for fighting is over. "We need to
give the guns to UNMIL. We need to live with our people again. We need
to ask for forgiveness. Let us beg them for doing wrongs," Tamba said.

Special Needs of Child Soldiers

The reintegration of an estimated 15,000 child soldiers -- both boys
and girls, many between seven and ten years old -- poses additional
challenges. After the violent life of a soldier, they must return to
being children again. The goal is to return them to their families and
communities, but for 25 percent of the children no relatives can be
found to receive them.	

At an interim care center for disarmed child soldiers, children
describe beatings, torture and other punishment that was inflicted on
them by former commanders for alleged infractions of the rules. One
child said, "We were tied and beaten and sometimes killed for stealing,
for failing to follow orders, and for abusing the civilian population."
The harsh reality is that child soldiers were complicit in abuses
against civilians, including rape, murder and widespread looting.

The stories of some child soldiers bear witness to the violation of
children's basic rights to security, development and childhood. After
soldiering and killing, they miss their families and want to be children
again.

Lorpu, a female former child soldier, says, "I started fighting with
government troops when I was eleven. I was a very good fighter. Last
year I was captured by [rebel] forces while battling. They ordered me to
be a part of them. I accepted their request. I seriously fought in all
of the major wars both in Monrovia and in the forest. I never got
wounded. I don't kill civilians, only enemies. Right now, I'm grateful
to the UN for disarming us. The only thing I am concerned about is that
I am missing my parents. I want to go back home and begin schooling."  

Twenty-three-year-old Evelyn said, "I was commanding over 50 young
girls. The youngest was 13 years old. Sometimes, we captured other girls
to join us.... However, I am now a new person. I pray everyday for God
to forgive me for the bad things I did. Right now I can play and joke
with other girls."

Fourteen-year-old Mary said, "While fighting, I never had the
opportunity to play with my friends. I was busy on the battle line.
Right now, I can play games with friends of other factions." 

Acknowledging the great challenge of reintegrating former combatants,
Bishop Harris has called on the UN and the National Transitional
Government of Liberia to empower the churches to play a major role in
the reintegration and reconciliation process.
(710 words)

(Based on a report by LWI correspondent Prince Collins, Liberia.)

[The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran
tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now has 136 member
churches in 76 countries representing 62.3 million of the almost 66
million Lutherans worldwide. The LWF acts on behalf of its member
churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and inter-faith
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.]

*    *	   *

LWI online at: http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/Welcome.EN.html 

LUTHERAN WORLD INFORMATION
PO Box 2100, CH-1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland
Tel: (41.22) 791.63.54
Fax: (41.22) 791.66.30 
Editor's e-mail: pmu@lutheranworld.org