Horn Africa’s religious leaders consult security concerns

By Tesfa-alem Tekle

Aug3,2009 (ADDIS ABABA) – Representatives and religious leaders from East African countries last week held consultation meeting on the Ethiopia capital, Addis Ababa, on ways how they could best share their part to promote peace in the Horn of Africa region in particular and across the continent as a whole.

The regional religious leaders drawn from 6 countries thoroughly discussed current situations of the region, consulted and shared religious experiences on how African religious leaders and religious fathers could transform their influential voices to promote peace, maintain stability, avoid and manage conflicts to fragile states.

Representatives have put approaches and directions on how to apply faith-based peace building.

Consultations on ways how to bring lasting peace, stability and development to the troubled Somalia and Sudan were top on the agenda.

The religious leaders underlined that Africa is being left behind mainly because conflicts are being major barriers, pulling-back the continent from utilizing its resources and also creating impossible condition for citizens to invest at home.

They called on African leaders and governments to ensure justice, bring harmony, equality, peace and to pave a way for national reconciliation among their people so Africa’s renaissance is realized.

Participant countries were, host country, Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, Djibouti, Kenya and Uganda.

(ST)