Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Nairobi (Agenzia Fides)- “This could be a solution for the crisis” Italian Consolata Missionary Fr. Luigi Anataloni, of CISA Catholic news service in Nairobi told Fides with regard to an idea presented by some African newspapers of power sharing between President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga, with the appointment of a Prime Minister, a post hitherto non existent in Kenya. “Since 2002 there has been talk of the figure of a Premier as part of constitutional reforms, yet to be started” said Fr. Luigi. “There has been no confirmation so far but I hope that as in the past Kenyans will demonstrate great mediation capacity and a compromise may be reached”. Mediation between President Kibaki and the Opposition leader is entrusted to the present head of the African Union, Ghana's president John Kufuor, who goes back and forth between the two leaders.
In a Pastoral Letter issued yesterday 9 January the Catholic Bishops of Kenya call on Christians and all men and women of goodwill to pray and work for peace. The local Catholic Church has organised a day of national prayer for peace on 20 January with a special Mass in Nairobi cathedral to which all the country's bishops are invited.
"The calls of the prophetic Bishops' Conference People went unheard” said Fr Luigi. “Since 1996 it has issued statements and calls for peace warning of the dangers of violence, criminal violence and political violence. It is startling to reread a statement dated 16 September 1997, in which the Bishops reflected on clashes in the coastal area near Mombasa, wondering if this could be a rehearsal for incidents involving a larger area. Still more startling is the fact that the Bishops indicated the very areas affected by this recent violence!”.
“In actual fact - the missionary concludes- the violence in recent days has not been spontaneous. Now the situation is calmer, looking at it with a cool head it is clear that most of the attacks were obviously planned and targeted”. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 10/1/2008 righe 27 parole 367)
