Religious Leaders Call for Solution to Liberian Crisis
July 15th, 2003 by sfuqua
Religious leaders meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, today called for a solution to the rapidly escalating conflict in Liberia and its impact on all of the West African region. A group led by senior clerics from across Africa formally presented an appeal to a committee of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) this morning. The Committee on Foreign Affairs accepted and endorsed the appeal and urged its adoption by the full Parliament this afternoon.
Press Release
Contact: Dr. William F. Vendley, Secretary General, WCRP Phone: (212)
687-2163; E-mail:
wvendley@wcrp.org
Abuja, Nigeria — (11 June 2003) — Religious leaders meeting in
Abuja, Nigeria, today called for a solution to the rapidly escalating
conflict in Liberia and its impact on all of the West African region. A
group led by senior clerics from across Africa formally presented an
appeal to a committee of the Parliament of the
Economic Community of
West African States (ECOWAS) this morning. The Committee on Foreign
Affairs accepted and endorsed the appeal and urged its adoption by the
full Parliament this afternoon.
Speaking before the inaugural meeting of the African Council of Religious
Leaders (ACRL), Dr. William F. Vendley, Secretary General of the World
Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP), stated, “Religious leaders in
Africa and beyond are fully seized by the worsening situation in Liberia
and the entire sub-region.”
The situation inside the country continues to deteriorate with the
international relief agency
Medecins
Sans Frontieres estimating the number of displaced as up to one
million people. At least 100,000 have sought shelter in ramshackle camps
without food, water, or adequate medical supplies.
His Grace Dr. John Onaiyekan, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Abuja and host
of the ACRL meeting, commended ECOWAS and the International Contact Group
for their efforts to resolve the crises, but urged additional steps be
taken immediately.
target="_blank">In a joint statement signed by WCRP Co-Presidents,
Archbishop Onaiyekan, H.E. Dr. Adamou N'dam Njoya, Minister
Plenipotentiary Cameroon, and Dr. Vendley, the religious leaders
issued an urgent appeal for a:
- Ceasefire in Liberia between all
belligerents; - Resumption of humanitarian assistance and emergency
relief to the refugees and internally displaced persons in Liberia and
all other peoples in the sub-region adversely affected by the
crises; -
Deployment of an international stabilization force
in Liberia to monitor demobilization and re-integration of all military
and security personnel and the electoral process;
“As senior religious leaders, we are committed to collaborating with
ECOWAS to resolve this crisis and establish just and peaceful societies
in the sub-region,” noted Dr. Njoya.
Leaders of the delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament included Dr. Njoya,
Bishop Albert Gomez, President of the Interreligious Council-Guinea, Most
Rev. Peter Kodwo Turkson, Archbishop of Cape Coast and Chair of the
Interreligious Council-Ghana, Mr. David Kiazolu, Secretary General of
Interreligious Council-Liberia, Rev. Prof. Yusufu Obaje, Co-ordinator of
the Nigerian Interreligious Council, Rev. William Tolbert III, West
African Regional Director for WCRP and Ms. Angela Oliver, WCRP Director
of the Program on Conflict Transformation.
WCRP and its affiliated regionally based Interreligious Councils have
long been at work mediating conflict in the Mano River region of West
Africa. Since 1996, WCRP has brought together religious leaders in Sierra
Leone, Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire and Liberia to assist them in stemming
conflict and building peace in their home countries and the region.
The World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP) mobilizes religious
communities to work together to prevent and mediate violent conflicts, to
strengthen civil society and to protect children. WCRP is a
non-sectarian, non-political coalition of the leaders and representatives
of the major religions of the world. The Executive Committee of WCRP
includes Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Indigenous, Jewish and Muslim
leaders. Information on WCRP and its programs is available at
www.wcrp.org.
