Acholi clergy defends Fr. Rodriguez

May 10, 2004

THE Acholi Religious Leaders’ Peace Initiative (ARLPI) has said the peace process in the north might cramble if the Government did not stop accusing Fr. Carlos Rodriguez of subversion.

By Emmanuel Mulondo

THE Acholi Religious Leaders’ Peace Initiative (ARLPI) has said the peace process in the north might cramble if the Government did not stop accusing Fr. Carlos Rodriguez of subversion.

“We fear such baseless accusations (against Carlos) could frustrate and damage the whole peace process currently in place,” ARLPI chairperson Rt. Rev. Bishop Macleord Baker Ochola and the secretary general, Msgr. Mathew Odong, said in a statement.

“On a serious note, the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative would like to make their position categorically clear on the recent allegations against one of the ARLPI members in the person of Fr. Carlos Rodriguez that he is a sympathiser of the LRA. This is not true.

“Such allegations are at best a diversion from the truth of what the ARLPI stands for. Fr. Carlos does not do anything contrary to ARLPI’s vision, values and mission,” they said.

The statement, issued by leaders fresh from Japan where the organisation won this year’s Niwano Peace Foundation (Japan) Nobel peace award, said ARLPI was dedicated to peace and unity for humanity and that Fr. Carlos was part and parcel of the initiative.

Bishops John Odama and Baker Ochola, Msgr. Odong and Sheikh Alhaji Musa Khalil received the award, over the weekend in Japan.

Ends

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