Eruthrean-Ethiopian Religious for Peace

[anb-bia <anb-bia@village.uunet.be>]

ERITREAN-ETHIOPIAN RELIGIOUS LEADERS ON PEACE INITIATIVE

Twenty religious leaders from both Eritrea and Ethiopia have concluded a 
joint meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, geared to bring peace to their countries.
The meeting was the sixth in a series sponsored by the Norwegian Church Aid 
(NCA). The goal "is to prepare the ground for their two political leaders 
to agree to sit together at a negotiating table and talk amicably to end 
hostilities and usher in peace," Abba Stefanos Tedla, the Chairman of the 
Inter-Religious Emergency Committee, told CISA in an interview.
Abba Stefanos told CISA that the two political leaders of Eritrea and 
Ethiopia made a step in June 2000, when they signed an agreement in 
Algiers. That resulted in a process of peace.
"The 20 religious leaders, ten from each country, and drawn from the 
Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant and Muslim faiths, met in Nairobi from May 
4-6 to discuss postwar activity," Abba Stefanos said. "We recommitted 
ourselves to work tirelessly for reconciliation of the two countries of our 
brothers and sisters", Abba Stefanos said.
"We believe very strongly that, although peace can come through various 
other channels, it is only religion that touches the conscience of the 
individual, of the community and of the nation. It is only through religion 
that people can forgive, forget and resolve to move on together into the 
future. The mandate of religious leaders is not a mundane mandate, but a 
divine one," he said.
Without pre-empting the inner conclusions of their meeting, Abba Stefanos, 
said that what the twenty religious leaders request all people is "the 
solidarity of prayer so that our commitment for reconciliation will succeed."
The five previous meetings took place in Norway, in Frankfurt and in New York.

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For information:
CATHOLIC INFORMATION SERVICE FOR AFRICA (CISA)
Spreading news of the Catholic Church from Africa, to Africa and for Africa 
through E-Mail
<cisa@wananchi.com>
Provisional postal address: P.O. Box 14861 - Nairobi, Kenya
Provisional phone numbers: 254 2 442011 - 441059 - 442794 - 443538; Fax 254 
2 442459 - 442124
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x - Un homme meurt chaque fois que l'un d'entre nous se tait devant la 
tyrannie (Wole Soyinka, Prix Nobel litterature) -  Everytime somebody keep 
silent when faced with tyranny, someone else dies (Wole Syinka, Nobel Prize 
for Literature)
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