African Church Information Service
July 14, 2003
Posted to the web July 14, 2003
Joseph K'amolo
Nairobi
The All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) has appealed to the government of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) to "stop any further hostilities and immediately come to the peace table".
AACC has further asked Joseph Kony, leader of LRA, to unconditionally order the release of children, women, and other Ugandans forcefully abducted and detained by his forces.
UNICEF statistics indicate that about 8,400 children, have been abducted by LRA over the last 12 months.
In a press release dated July 4, AACC's Acting General Secretary, Mr Bright Mawudor, expressed concern that the protracted conflict between LRA and Uganda government, which began in 1986, had caused the people of Uganda a lot of suffering, and had since claimed 23,000 lives.
"It is unfortunate that the LRA has become synonymous with widespread human rights abuses including drafting of abducted school children into their forces or to be sex slaves," said Mr Mawudor, adding, "The AACC would like to condemn these atrocities in no uncertain terms."
AACC has also urged LRA to clear its name from accusations that its soldiers were responsible for slicing lips and hacking off limbs of some of their captives.
Said Mr Mawudor: "We understand hundreds of thousands of Ugandans, particularly those in the north have fled their homes to escape from the marauding forces."
According to AACC, the continued aggression between the LRA and the Uganda government had increased regional instability and aggravated the perennial refugee problem in East and Central Africa.
In June 2002, LRA rebels and Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) took their fight to the Atip River in southern Sudan, which resulted in the killing of Sudanese refugees. The incident, says Mr. Mawudor, worsened the internal problems in the Sudan.
Mr Mawudor is currently overseeing the activities of AACC until the new General Secretary, Bishop Hamilton Mvume Dandala, takes office in September.
Mr Melaku Kifle, who has been Interim General Secretary for the past one year, has returned to his desk at the World Council of Churches, where he serves as Executive Secretary responsible for Peace, Reconciliation and Uprooted People in Africa.
Meanwhile, AACC has also sent an appeal to the international community to come to the aid of Ethiopia, to help avert a possible famine tragedy "like the one witnessed in the country in the 1980s, where millions starved to death".
The country is currently experiencing severe famine occasioned by drought. According to Mr Mawudor, latest statistics indicate that more than 11 million Ethiopians are starving, and 1.2 million are in urgent need of food.
"We call on all member churches to devout a day of prayers for rain in this beautiful country and to call on their governments and partners for support," said Mr Mawudor.
