Regional churches to sensitise Sudanese on imperative of peace
Aug 20, 2005 (Nairobi) — African church leaders meeting here to deliberate the future implementation of a Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed by the Khartoum government and the former rebels have resolved to send a
mission to sensitise Sudanese on the value and imperative of peace.
The regional ecumenical meeting held 18-20 August and attended by over 40 church leaders, noted that the mission to Sudan was even more vital following the death of John Garang, Sudan’s First Vice President, in a plane crash 30 July.
“This is a solidarity visit to compliment the Sudanese on their work for peace and show them that we are with them during this tragic loss of their leader, we want to ensure the peace accord is implemented,” said Fred Nyabera, chief executive of the churches umbrella body, the Fellowship of Christian Councils and Churches in the Great Lakes and the
Horn of Africa (FECCLAHA).
The Church leaders will send representatives from the nine-member councils of the region to dwell in the South and North of Sudan to monitor the political developments.
“Sudan has made significant strides towards peace. There is a peace process that presents a challenge. The delegation will help communities in the south to understand their roles in the implementation of the peace accord,” said Ugandan cleric Canon Grace Kaiso, FECCLAHA Chairman during a closing news conference here Saturday.
Meanwhile, the church leaders have also agreed to accompany the Council of Churches in Burundi to follow up on the gaps in the implementation of the Arusha Peace Agreement, especially in reaching out at the only rebel
group, the FNL, that has not signed the agreement to end incursion and accept dialogue with the new government.
The leaders will also be seeking to encourage the new leadership to maintain a commitment to the peace deal.
In a joint communiqué issued at the closing of the meeting, the delegates, who deliberated on the theme “Towards Understanding the Ecumenical Role of Post Conflict and Reconciliation in the Great Lakes Region, East and Horn of Africa”, also resolved to develop cohesion that will generate meaningful and effective responses to crisis situations.
They agreed that FECCLAHA would now use its capacity to mobilize and intervene, campaign and raise awareness in instances where there is lack of expertise, goodwill or violations of various processes of peace building and reconciliation.