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07504
August 15, 2007
African Christian leader warns about repeating Darfur mistakes
by Fredrick Nzwili
Ecumenical News International
NAIROBI — The leader of Africa’s largest grouping of churches has warned that the root causes of the conflict in the troubled Western Sudan region of Darfur must be addressed if past mistakes are not to be repeated.
”We are glad the call for a United Nations (26 000 strong) multinational force in Darfur, with a strong mandate … has yielded fruits,” said the Rev. Mvume Dandala, general secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches.
”Peace for the Sudan is in itself a big victory for Africa, and for both the Muslim and Christian communities in the continent,” Dandala said in a statement released in Nairobi on Aug. 9.
”The concern of churches is that the root causes of conflict in the Sudan should be seen to be adequately addressed,” noted the African churches’ leader. “For instance, the concern that the Darfur situation was a government creation for the diversion of attention from the South [of the country] for non-implementation of the much celebrated Comprehensive Peace Agreement [signed in December 2005] should be addressed.”
Several African countries have pledged troops for the UN mission. However, Dandala, a Methodist from South Africa, said he hoped the composition of the force would prevent the Sudanese government from influencing the peacekeepers in order to perpetuate its own interests.
”Whilst appreciating the mandate of the UN force to only use force where it sees that there is a threat to human life, the mandate should also include the use of force to create buffer zones between civilians and aggressors,” said Dandala.
Church sources in Darfur say fragmented, mainly black African tribal rebel groups had taken up arms against the government, which had backed mainly Arab herdsmen known as Janjaweed to fight the rebels. The Sudan government has often been accused of taking advantage of ethnic divisions in order to make the peace process difficult.
”These armed groups did threaten aid agencies as they did with the African Union force,” which, at 7000 strong, had been sent in to monitor the situation, said Dandala. “It is our sincere hope that under the UN watch, these actions will not be repeated.” |
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