A delegation of church leaders from Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo has set out to meet the presidents of the latter two countries in order to convey them a strong message in favour of peace.

Witnesses for creative peacemaking from member churches of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Burundi, Brazil, Greece and the United States will travel to Germany, 27 June - 4 July, to exchange experiences in overcoming violence.

In Burundi, the struggle for power between the dominant Tutsi minority and the Hutu majority has resulted in the deaths of over 200,000 people and the displacement of 250,000. Sponsor a child in Burundi here

A senior United Nations official in Burundi has pledged the support of the global body to the peace work of churches and others, paying a tribute to their efforts to stabilise the country after more than 10 years of war.

Christian leaders in Burundi have called on a church-sponsored group led by former Mozambican president Joaquim Chissano to reach out to the rebel Palipehutu-Forces for National Liberation, the last remaining insurgent group.

An African regional Christian grouping has warned that Burundi could slide into renewed fighting as a result of tensions within the ruling party and the presence of the rebel Forces for National Liberation, which itself is divided and has refused to sign a peace agreement

UCL Provost Malcolm Grant has been presented with a petition signed by over 1,000 staff and students at University College London (UCL) calling on him to sell UCL’s shares in an arms company.