AFRICANEWS
Views and news on peace, justice and reconciliation in Africa
October 2001
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War and Peace
KenyaMore than 100 people from the Tanzanian island of Zanzibar have left camps in Kenya to seek refuge in war-ravaged Somalia. They arrived in the capital, Mogadishu, at the weekend, at a time when most of the agencies that deal with refugees have evacuated their staff out of the country in the wake of the terror attacks on the United States. According to the group, who were mainly young men but included three women and two children, they escaped from the Ifo refugee camp in Daadab, northeast Kenya.They said they were suffering from malnutrition, and faced insecurity and other environmental difficulties there. The Zanzibaris originally fled the semi-autonomous Tanzanian islands early this year when the political riots began between the Tanzanian ruling party and the opposition, Civic United Front, when several people including policemen were killed. They were part of the group of more than 2,000 refugees who were first taken to the Kenyan coastal town of Mombasa. Kenya's President Moi ordered the border with Somalia closed more than one month ago, so as to curb the influx of arms into Kenya. (Source: ANB) NigeriaAddressing the Synod of Bishops, Nigerian Archbishop John Onaiyekan of Abuja and President of the Nigerian Catholic Bishops' Conference, said that to eliminate terrorism, its economic and social causes must be addressed. "For how long will the world continue to allow some regimes to get away with gross violations of human rights, in the name of religion?" the Archbishop asked. When a nation denies some of its citizens the basic human right of freedom of religion and equality before the law, is it not guilty of state terrorism?"Archbishop Onaiyekan's remark can be applied to the Taliban in Afghanistan, but also to Sudan and other countries in Africa and Asia that have made religious intolerance and fanaticism their government policies, and commit flagrant violation of human rights in the name of religion. The Archbishop thanked the Pope for promoting Muslim-Christian dialogue during his many apostolic journeys. He also spoke of efforts by the Church in Africa to foster dialogue with Islam. He said that in spite of the imposition of sharia law in certain states, Nigeria can still be an example of just and harmonious co-existence of Christians and Muslims. (Source: Fides, Zenit) SomaliAt least 15 people have been killed and more that 20 injured in two days of fighting between government troops and militia loyal to a Mogadishu faction leader. Dozens of families fled their homes when fighters used mortars and anti aircraft guns in clashes that spread from the government's military training camp to residential areas, residents said.Somalia's transitional government was chosen a year ago at a peace conference in neighbouring Djibouti. Somalia had been without a central government for a decade. The country descended into chaos after opposition leaders who ousted dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991 turned on each other. Clan-based factional fighting reduced the country of seven million into battling fiefdoms ruled by heavily armed militias. (Source: AP) South AfricaSpeaking to a World Council of Churches (WCC) delegation and representatives of the South African Council of Churches SACC recently, South African President Thabo Mbeki urged both South Africa to help resolve conflict in South African Development Community SADC region.The WCC delegation was in South Africa on the first leg of a 10 day (14-27 August) visit to South Africa that included Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. At a meeting at State House in Pretoria, President Mbeki said SADC requires the churches' help in two areas: the land question in Zimbabwe and the ongoing war in Angola. SADC heads of state had tried everything in their power to bring the 41 old war to an end, to no avail. Mbeki reported that the Angolan rebel (UNITA) leader Jonas Savimbi and the Angolan government are not on speaking terms. Fortunately, however, Angola's president Jose Eduardo Dos-Santos has agreed that only dialogue and not military action can end the conflict. (Source: AANA) ZimbabweThree convicted murderers have been hanged in the country's first execution since 1998 after their appeals were overturned, the state-run Herald newspaper reported on 10 October. The paper said the men, who were hanged on 12 October, killed five people in separate incidents, including three women and a 12 year old girl who was also raped. President Mugabe's government has resisted pressure from local and international human rights groups to abolish the death sentence in Zimbabwe. (Source: East African Standard)
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