Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Nairobi (Fides Service )- “The proliferation of small arms is a serious problem which the Church cannot ignore” the Office for Justice and Peace of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences of Eastern Africa AMECEA wrote in a letter addressed to AMECEA bishops and parish priests on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Nairobi Declaration. On 15 March 2000, in the capital of Kenya, representatives of 10 countries of the Great Lake region of Africa and the Horn of Africa Nairobi signed the Nairobi Declaration committing themselves to stop the proliferation of light weapons.
The letter was written as part of initiatives to recall the Declaration and to ensure its implementation. AMECEA Bishops and parish priests have been asked to speak of the problem at Sunday Masses on March 13.
According to the authors of the letter, a copy was sent to Fides, in eastern Africa there are an estimated 500,000 illegal arms in circulation with casualties of about 300,000 from armed conflict and about 200,00 from criminal activities. “Some countries thought supposedly peaceful (absence of war) suffer a lot of violence due to the great number of weapons available. Misuse of small arms in the urban cities is now reaching alarming proportions, cases of carjacking, rapes and armed robberies by criminals abound as well as cattle rustling and ethnic clashes” the letter says.
One of worst affected countries is Kenya, and its capital Nairobi where the Convention against arms was signed. The situation is aggravated by corruption in sections of the police according to the letter “said to be involved n armed robberies or have leased out their guns or uniforms for use by criminals”. The situation is ever more alarming in Somalia, in the grip of civil tribal war for the past 15 years, and Uganda still violently engaged with the Lord’s Resistance Army in the north of the country while its pastoralist group the Karamajong is feared to have over 80,000 illegal arms.
The AMECEA letter ends with a list of suggestions for local Churches: conduct prayers for the victims of gun violence and armed conflict; condemn rising cases of criminality; work to improve security in communities and villages; prepare to engage in weapons collection where necessary; advocate for increased commitment from government on small arms issues; welcome the victims of violence and deal with the towards a healing process; encourage Christians to get involved in civil society groups to fight violence in our communities; work towards establishing a Culture of Peace; organise Peace Education in schools, parishes and small Christian communities.
The Nairobi Declaration was signed by Burundi, Democratic Congo, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti; Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 7/3/2005 righe 40 parole 500)
