Religious leaders urge on peace
Nov 11, 2008
The conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo seems to be sponsored to destabilise the region and get access to its minerals, the Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko has noted.
By Catherine Bekunda
The conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo seems to be sponsored to destabilise the region and get access to its minerals, the Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko has noted.
Noko, who is the president of the Inter-Faith Action for Peace in Africa (IFAPA), was addressing more than 30 religious leaders of different faiths in Entebbe. The leaders are discussing ways of ensuring peace in Africa.
IFAPA brings together leaders of seven major faiths, that is the African Traditional Religion, Baha’i, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism, to promote peace and respect for human rights in Africa.
Opening the meeting, state minister for economic monitoring Maurice Kagimu Kiwanuka urged the members to live together and appreciate each other’s good values.
He assured the delegates of the Government’s commitment to peace, saying Uganda has sent peacekeepers to war-torn Somalia and Liberia. He added that Uganda is holding talks with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda on how to restore peace and sanity in Kivu province, which has been hit by clashes between the Congo government and Laurent Nkuda’s rebel forces forcing thousands of people to flee to neighbouring countries.
The retired Bishop of Kitgum Diocese, Macleord Ochola, appealed to the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels not to attack villages in DRC and Southern Sudan. Ochola’s wife and daughter were killed in the LRA war in northern Uganda.
Participants urged governments to include victims of war in the peace negotiating teams, saying they give strong messages.
The conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo seems to be sponsored to destabilise the region and get access to its minerals, the Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko has noted.
Noko, who is the president of the Inter-Faith Action for Peace in Africa (IFAPA), was addressing more than 30 religious leaders of different faiths in Entebbe. The leaders are discussing ways of ensuring peace in Africa.
IFAPA brings together leaders of seven major faiths, that is the African Traditional Religion, Baha’i, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism, to promote peace and respect for human rights in Africa.
Opening the meeting, state minister for economic monitoring Maurice Kagimu Kiwanuka urged the members to live together and appreciate each other’s good values.
He assured the delegates of the Government’s commitment to peace, saying Uganda has sent peacekeepers to war-torn Somalia and Liberia. He added that Uganda is holding talks with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda on how to restore peace and sanity in Kivu province, which has been hit by clashes between the Congo government and Laurent Nkuda’s rebel forces forcing thousands of people to flee to neighbouring countries.
The retired Bishop of Kitgum Diocese, Macleord Ochola, appealed to the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels not to attack villages in DRC and Southern Sudan. Ochola’s wife and daughter were killed in the LRA war in northern Uganda.
Participants urged governments to include victims of war in the peace negotiating teams, saying they give strong messages.