Reports 1995-1998 Edited by Dwain C. Epps
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Peace appealLetter to H.E. Issias Afwerki, Prime Minister of Ethiopia, and to H.E. Meles Zenawi, President of Eritrea, 11 June 1998.We write to you out of deep concern for the conflict which has arisen on the border between your two respected nations, for the suffering it has inflicted upon your peoples and the destruction it has caused to points of infrastructure vital to their economic and social well-being. We have admired the successful efforts of your two governments in settling the earlier disputes between your two lands through wise and peaceful negotiated means. In so doing, you provided a model to Africa and to the world that the divisive legacy of colonialism could effectively be addressed through the use of African approaches to conflict resolution. We have also appreciated the roles both your governments have played in the Inter-Governmental Agency for Development (IGAD) process, seeking again a peaceful resolution of the long-standing conflicts affecting the Horn of Africa. It was therefore with great dismay that we received the news that your nations had entered into armed conflict over a significant, but relatively minor and predictable dispute over delimitation of the border separating your two states. We profoundly regret that earlier negotiations on this question collapsed, and that recourse was had to the use of armed force. Yours is a part of the world which has suffered greatly from armed conflict. This particular conflict now threatens to spark a new, spreading conflagration. We therefore appeal urgently to you to call an immediate cease-fire, to withdraw all armed forces from the immediate zone of conflict, and to return to the negotiating table. The UN, the OAU, and third parties have given signs of their readiness to assist you in this process. Yet it is only your own good will which can bring an end to this dispute and set out a regular negotiating framework on remaining, potentially divisive points of contention between your two states. The World Council of Churches, its member churches and related humanitarian agencies have been close to you and your peoples through years of great tragedy and suffering. We remain still with you as friends, and stand ready to do whatever you feel we might be able to contribute to the resolution of the present dispute. May the God of peace and mercy guide you now in His ways. Respectfully, Konrad Raiser General Secretary Great Lakes Region Statement on the Situation in the Great Lakes RegionIssued in Geneva, 31 October 1996.The World Council of Churches expresses its appreciation to all those who have turned their priority attention to finding an urgent solution to the political situation which has grown to drastic proportions in recent days in the Great Lakes region, and to meeting the urgent humanitarian needs of those victimized by the circumstances. The WCC has kept itself informed of the changing situation on a regular basis through its member churches in the region and church agencies related to Action of Churches Together. The Council expresses its profound appreciation for the courageous witness of church-related providers of humanitarian aid to refugees and displaced people, many of whom are now seeking to continue their ministry of service in very dangerous and precarious circumstances. The WCC also recognizes the similar roles being played by non-member church bodies in the region, to secular non-governmental bodies, and to representatives of UN-related agencies, all of whom have a shared commitment to the people caught up in the present tragedy. The WCC has also maintained close contact on operational matters and policy options with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, with other UN agencies involved in providing humanitarian assistance, and with the Federation of Red Cross Societies. It reiterates its appreciation for their work and the commitment of their respective headquarters and field-level officers. In a time characterized by “complex emergencies,” the present situation in the Great Lakes region is complex to an extraordinary degree. The many historical, political, national and ethnic factors, both internal to the states of the region and international, combine to defy easy solutions. The World Council of Churches continues, as it has done for many years, to seek such solutions in this crisis, but it, like others, has now no simple answer to offer. The WCC does wish, however, to underscore certain fundamental principles which it believes should guide efforts to find immediate and long-term actions: Refugees and displaced persons. The WCC remains firm in its conviction that repatriation of refugees and displaced persons must be a main goal of efforts to resolve the political and humanitarian needs of the region. It believes, however, that the choice of repatriation must be that of the refugees themselves, and that no agency or internal or external power should take advantage of the present turmoil to force people to return to places where they fear for their security. Humanitarian assistance. The WCC reiterates its conviction that threatened populations have the right to essential emergency assistance in terms of food, medicine and shelter. It appeals once again to all powers and military forces operating in the region to guarantee freedom of movement to recognized humanitarian organizations in and out of areas of conflict for the purpose of providing such assistance. Restoration of order. There is an obvious need for international action to restore order in an increasingly chaotic situation. More armed forces, including national armies, militias, and possibly even mercenaries, become involved day by day. An international policing body may be called for to restore order and to protect civilian populations in the immediate circumstances. But any such deployment should be under the authority of the UN Security Council, clearly international in composition and command, and neutral. As recent experience has shown, military or police forces of a single external power or a coalition of external forces risks aggravating the situation and delaying a long-term, peaceful resolution. Primacy of regional initiatives. The WCC remains committed to African regional approaches to resolve the immediate crisis and to negotiate differences which have given rise to it. The OAU has a central role to play, and any international effort must be in close coordination with this regional body. One of these is the mediation effort undertaken by former Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere. The WCC continues to believe that it deserves broad international support as a regional initiative which has for the moment the best possibility of finding a solution on African terms and with the consenting participation of the various parties. The WCC appeals once again to the governments of Rwanda, Burundi and Zaïre to cooperate fully with this and other eventual mediation efforts by those who have their interests and the interests of the region as a whole at heart. Urgent need for redress of the causes of conflict. In repeated statements over the years, the WCC has called for concerted international attention to the underlying, unresolved conflicts. The vicious cycle of crises in the Great Lakes cannot be broken so long as the region remains in turmoil, and basic causes are not addressed. Still, no effective system of impartial justice is in place, the truth about past crimes has yet to be told, impunity for perpetrators of those crimes is freely granted, basic questions of justice remain open, and effective protection of human rights is lacking. As part of the international community, the churches themselves have much to do in terms of strengthening local initiatives in each society for peace, justice and reconciliation. The issues are indeed complex and long-term solutions difficult to achieve. However, this is no excuse to allow these societies to continue in their present state. New forms of concerted international attention, governmental, intergovernmental, and non-governmental are urgently needed. In its own efforts to contribute to meeting immediate needs and finding a just and lasting solution, the WCC places the peoples and churches of the Great Lakes Region and of Africa at the centre. For them to succeed in forging a common witness will require the solidarity, material assistance and prayers of churches everywhere. We know that congregations around the world have taken this to heart, and with them we pray that God will lead us all through this valley of the shadow of death to the promised land of peace. |