AFRICA/NAIROBI - Injustices against refugees and the need to coordinate Justice and Peace efforts, focus of AMECEA executive council meeting

Friday, 17 March 2006

Nairobi (Fides Service)- Concerned for increasing injustice committed against refugees has been expressed by the Association of Member Bishops’ Conferences of East Africa in a statement issued by the AMECEA executive council at the end of a meeting Nairobi, capital of Kenya, 7 - 9 March. The statement said that in most of their countries, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia the situation of refugees is a serious problem.
“We call on the special pastoral organisations to give concrete attention to these helpless people” AMECEA said. “We endorse the request made by pastoral workers in refugee camps for Church leaders to work in close contact with their respective governments particularly to promote national laws to guarantee protection for refugees and their right to a job ”.
The statement said AMECEA has asked its own Justice and Peace office to collect documentation on key matters such as elections and referendums to distribute to JP commissions in the region and other areas... “since various religious congregations in the region have their own JP commissions, despite the existence of national and diocesan JP commissions we have asked AMECEA JP Commission to promote forms of cooperation and networking to avoid duplication and non co-ordinated programmes”.
During the meeting AMECEA members elected a new vice president Bishop John Njue of Nyeri (Kenya) and Communications delegate Bishop Alfred Maluma of Njombe (Tanzania). (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 17/3/2006 righe 28 parole 300)


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