African churches urge UN peacekeeping role in Darfur
-09/05/06
The All Africa Conferen
African churches urge UN peacekeeping role in Darfur
-09/05/06
The All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), Africaís largest grouping of Protestant and Anglican Christian bodies, has urged United Nations peacekeepers to step in for duties carried out by African Union troops following the signing in Nigeria of a peace agreement between Sudanís government and Darfurís biggest rebel group.
ìIt is our fervent prayer that efforts will continue to get the remaining rebel groups on board with the peace plans to ensure a lasting peace to the three-year conflict,î the ecumenical body declared after the army and political council of the Sudan Liberation Movement and the Sudanese government signed the agreement on 5 May 2006.
The two-page AACC statement announced: ìWe are happy that an agreement was secured between the Sudan Government and al least one of the rebel groups, after the initial faltering of the talks and double extension to the deadline for the peace deal.
ìHowever, we are concerned that the two smaller rebel groups rejected the agreement, and it is our fervent prayer that efforts will continue to get the remaining rebel groups on board with peace plans to ensure a lasting solution to the three-year old conflict, the church body statement further pointed out.
ìWe also strongly urge the Sudan government to allow in United Nations peacekeeper to take over from the African Union (AU) troops now that peace deal has been signed. A much more robust mediating presence that the 7,000 AU troops is required to the vast Darfur area to ensure security for displaced person and for the humanitarian relief work to go on, stressed the regional ecumenical church body.
ìThe Church body further applauded the mediation efforts of the African Union (AU), which includes the deployment of 7,000 troops to the Darfur region and organizing the peace talks between the Sudanese Government and rebel groups which took place last week in Abuja, Nigeria.
ìThe church bodyís statement entitled: Crisis in Darfur and Chad, further pointed out thus, ìwe are convinced that as much as the Darfur crisis fuels the conflicts in Chad, the Chadian situation in turn fuels the Darfur crisis. This was demonstrated at Chadian Governmentís accusations of Sudanís complicity in the mid-April attack that reached the capital NíDjamena.î
On Chad, specifically, the AACC said it was concerned about the ìinternal political crisis in Chad following the 3 May 2006 presidential election, as it is our resolve to support and encourage democracy to thrive in the continent.î
The ecumenical body explained: ìIt is our earnest hope tat the government and the opposition would engage in dialogue before the elections so as to ensure that polls would be free and fair and would give an opportunity to the people of Chad to elect a leader of their choice, stressed the church body.î
The statement concluded: ìThe AACC strongly urges on the conflicting parties in Darfur and Chad to redouble their efforts towards reconciliation. Peace is the only real answer to end misery of those suffering in these regions.î
Founded in 1963, the All Africa Conference of Churches represents 169 Protestant and Anglican churches in 40 African countries.
[Also on Ekklesia: Darfur peace agreement is still fragile, say churches 08/05/06; Avoid needless Darfur suffering, say church aid agencies 02/05/06; Churches and NGOs rally for Darfur as crisis deepens; Churches urge Sudan government to end hostilities; Christian aid partners address UN over Sudan; Catholic aid agency appeals to PM over Sudan; Christian aid agencies unite for Sudan; Archbishop spotlights Sudan suffering in Easter message to churches; Protests as Egypt vows to expel hundreds of Sudanese refugees; Christians arrested during Washington protest over Sudan]
African churches urge UN peacekeeping role in Darfur
-09/05/06
The All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), Africaís largest grouping of Protestant and Anglican Christian bodies, has urged United Nations peacekeepers to step in for duties carried out by African Union troops following the signing in Nigeria of a peace agreement between Sudanís government and Darfurís biggest rebel group.
ìIt is our fervent prayer that efforts will continue to get the remaining rebel groups on board with the peace plans to ensure a lasting peace to the three-year conflict,î the ecumenical body declared after the army and political council of the Sudan Liberation Movement and the Sudanese government signed the agreement on 5 May 2006.
The two-page AACC statement announced: ìWe are happy that an agreement was secured between the Sudan Government and al least one of the rebel groups, after the initial faltering of the talks and double extension to the deadline for the peace deal.
ìHowever, we are concerned that the two smaller rebel groups rejected the agreement, and it is our fervent prayer that efforts will continue to get the remaining rebel groups on board with peace plans to ensure a lasting solution to the three-year old conflict, the church body statement further pointed out.
ìWe also strongly urge the Sudan government to allow in United Nations peacekeeper to take over from the African Union (AU) troops now that peace deal has been signed. A much more robust mediating presence that the 7,000 AU troops is required to the vast Darfur area to ensure security for displaced person and for the humanitarian relief work to go on, stressed the regional ecumenical church body.
ìThe Church body further applauded the mediation efforts of the African Union (AU), which includes the deployment of 7,000 troops to the Darfur region and organizing the peace talks between the Sudanese Government and rebel groups which took place last week in Abuja, Nigeria.
ìThe church bodyís statement entitled: Crisis in Darfur and Chad, further pointed out thus, ìwe are convinced that as much as the Darfur crisis fuels the conflicts in Chad, the Chadian situation in turn fuels the Darfur crisis. This was demonstrated at Chadian Governmentís accusations of Sudanís complicity in the mid-April attack that reached the capital NíDjamena.î
On Chad, specifically, the AACC said it was concerned about the ìinternal political crisis in Chad following the 3 May 2006 presidential election, as it is our resolve to support and encourage democracy to thrive in the continent.î
The ecumenical body explained: ìIt is our earnest hope tat the government and the opposition would engage in dialogue before the elections so as to ensure that polls would be free and fair and would give an opportunity to the people of Chad to elect a leader of their choice, stressed the church body.î
The statement concluded: ìThe AACC strongly urges on the conflicting parties in Darfur and Chad to redouble their efforts towards reconciliation. Peace is the only real answer to end misery of those suffering in these regions.î
Founded in 1963, the All Africa Conference of Churches represents 169 Protestant and Anglican churches in 40 African countries.
[Also on Ekklesia: Darfur peace agreement is still fragile, say churches 08/05/06; Avoid needless Darfur suffering, say church aid agencies 02/05/06; Churches and NGOs rally for Darfur as crisis deepens; Churches urge Sudan government to end hostilities; Christian aid partners address UN over Sudan; Catholic aid agency appeals to PM over Sudan; Christian aid agencies unite for Sudan; Archbishop spotlights Sudan suffering in Easter message to churches; Protests as Egypt vows to expel hundreds of Sudanese refugees; Christians arrested during Washington protest over Sudan]