wfn.org | [AACC] All Africa Conference of Churches Joins in Togo

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

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

http://www.aacc-ceta.org
Tel: 254 - 20 - 4441483, 4441338/9 · Fax: 254 - 20- 4443241, 4445835
Email: secretariat@aacc-ceta.org
General Secretariat: Waiyaki Way, P.O. Box 14205 , 00800 Westlands,
Nairobi, Kenya

AACC PARTICIPATES IN ECUMENICAL MISSION TO TOGO

Delegates from the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) joined an
ecumenical mission to the beleaguered Republic of Togo from 28 March to 3
April, 2005.

The mission was devised collaboratively by the Eglise Evangélique
Presbytérienne du Togo (Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Togo), the
Eglise Catholique du Togo (Catholic Church of Togo) and the Eglise
Méthodiste du Togo (Methodist Church of Togo) out of concern for the people
of Togo in light of the complex and worrying situation following the death
of General Gnassingbe Eyadéma, President of the Republic of Togo, a
situation which has exacerbated the crisis prevailing in the country for
several years now.

The Three Churches were joined not only by the AACC, but by other
ecumenical partners, including La Communauté d Eglises en Mission-Cevaa
(Community of Churches in Mission), the Norddeutsche Mission (Bremen
Mission), the World Council of Churches (WCC), the World Alliance of
Reformed Churches (WARC), DEFAP- Service Protestant de Mission (Protestant
Office for Mission), DM Echange et Mission (Exchange and Mission)
(Switzerland), EKD (the Protestant Church in Germany), the Fédération
Protestante de France (Protestant Federation of France), and the World
Church Office of the British Methodist Church.

The AACC delegation consisted of two AACC staff Mr. Bright Mawudor, Dr.
Comlan Prosper Deh, and a General Committee Member, Rev. Dr. Simon K.
Dossou, Président of the Eglise Protestante Méthodiste du Bénin.	The team
went to Togo to represent the AACC General Secretary and the President who
were both prevented to travel by previous commitments.

The mission included visits of solidarity with the churches of the nation,
meetings with the Minister of Defense, representatives of all Togolese
political groupings including opposition and the ruling party, the Civil
Society, the Constitutional Court, the Bar, as well as the Special Envoy of
the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) and Ambassadors of France
and Germany in Togo.

According to a declaration released following the ecumenical visit, the
delegation noted a severe distrust of the government of Togo in all sectors
of society, and urged the opposition party and the ruling party to engage
in dialogue in order to overcome the impasse the country is plunged in.

The declaration also called on the African Union (AU), ECOWAS and the
entire international community, including the European Union and the United
Nations (UN) to put pressure on the Togolese government in order to
organize fair and transparent election, even at the cost of the
postponement the election to a more realistic date, classifying their
response as the fulfillment of	a moral, political, and humanitarian duty.

Furthermore, the declaration ended on a call for reconciliation from All
Togolese, beyond political and religious devotions: May your concern for
each man and each woman be to look at your neighbour with new eyes, with
the eyes of brotherhood and love; and to rediscover the desire to be united
to Build a New Togo.   And to all of you we commend this prayer of the
Apostle Paul In Christ s name, be reconciled! (2 Cor 5:20b)