Somalia must not be dominated by religious groups, says ecumenist
-17/08/06
The head o
Somalia must not be dominated by religious groups, says ecumenist
-17/08/06
The head of Africa’s largest church grouping says he prays Somalia will not fall under the governance of one single religious group ñ writes Fredrick Nzwili for Ecumenical News International (ENI).
The Rev Mvume Dandala spoke to ENI as the group known as the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) captured Beletuein, a town in the central part of the country, during a recent military advance.
“My prayers and hope is that we will not have people who are governing Somalia coming exclusively from any single religious group. That is not a helpful thing,” Dandala, the All Africa Conference of Churches general secretary, told ENI in Nairobi.
Beletuein, viewed as strategic, fell under the control of the ICU around 9 August 2006 after fighting between former pro-Transitional Federal Government (TFG) troops and fighters from the Islamic group.
“What would help is for the people of Somalia together to find ways to resolve their difficulties to speak to one another and to talk their way forward,” said Dandala, a Methodist from South Africa.
Ethiopia, which has a strong Christian presence, is backing the TFG, while neighbouring Eritrea is believed to support the ICU. Ethiopia and Eritrea have in turn been engaged in their own conflict over a border region called Badme. This has raised fears that countries around the Horn of Africa could become embroiled in a regional conflagration.
Somalia has not had a functioning government since 1991 when warlords toppled the dictator Mohamed Siad Barre, ushering in a long era of anarchy. Barre died in 1995 exiled in Nigeria.
Dandala said it would be appalling if Somalia became a stage for global conflicts between the Muslim and the Christian world.
“Anything that suggests the development of a conflict shaped during difficulties in the Cold War in whatever shape or form is not good for any country,” said Dandala. “And our prayer is that it will not be so in Somalia.”
[With acknowledgements to ENI. Ecumenical News International is jointly sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the Conference of European Churches]
Somalia must not be dominated by religious groups, says ecumenist
-17/08/06
The head of Africa’s largest church grouping says he prays Somalia will not fall under the governance of one single religious group ñ writes Fredrick Nzwili for Ecumenical News International (ENI).
The Rev Mvume Dandala spoke to ENI as the group known as the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) captured Beletuein, a town in the central part of the country, during a recent military advance.
“My prayers and hope is that we will not have people who are governing Somalia coming exclusively from any single religious group. That is not a helpful thing,” Dandala, the All Africa Conference of Churches general secretary, told ENI in Nairobi.
Beletuein, viewed as strategic, fell under the control of the ICU around 9 August 2006 after fighting between former pro-Transitional Federal Government (TFG) troops and fighters from the Islamic group.
“What would help is for the people of Somalia together to find ways to resolve their difficulties to speak to one another and to talk their way forward,” said Dandala, a Methodist from South Africa.
Ethiopia, which has a strong Christian presence, is backing the TFG, while neighbouring Eritrea is believed to support the ICU. Ethiopia and Eritrea have in turn been engaged in their own conflict over a border region called Badme. This has raised fears that countries around the Horn of Africa could become embroiled in a regional conflagration.
Somalia has not had a functioning government since 1991 when warlords toppled the dictator Mohamed Siad Barre, ushering in a long era of anarchy. Barre died in 1995 exiled in Nigeria.
Dandala said it would be appalling if Somalia became a stage for global conflicts between the Muslim and the Christian world.
“Anything that suggests the development of a conflict shaped during difficulties in the Cold War in whatever shape or form is not good for any country,” said Dandala. “And our prayer is that it will not be so in Somalia.”
[With acknowledgements to ENI. Ecumenical News International is jointly sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the Conference of European Churches]