Aachen/Berlin (Fides Service) - A firm “no” to military solutions and a promise for more commitment for peace and the national and international level by German political leaders was the result of talks between German political leaders, representatives of the different Churches in Germany and Ugandan Bishops, Catholic Archbishop John Baptist Odama and Anglican Bishop Macleord Baker Ochola, representing the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative (ARLPI). The Ugandan religious leaders were invited to Germany by “missio Aachen”, the national office of the Pontifical Mission Societies Germany which has supported the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative (ARLPI) since it was formed in 1997.
“We think we have demonstrated that pressure must be put on the rebels of the Lords’ Resistance Army (LRA) and above all the Ugandan army to renounce any military solution and to show readiness for dialogue and sincere desire to put an end to this terrible war ”, the African Bishops said in a press conference in Berlin at the end of their visit to Germany, according to a report sent by “missio Aachen” to Fides.
“Willingness to negotiate peace should be monitored and guaranteed by neutral observers and after our visit we hope that this task may be assumed by German political leaders. Encouraged by this experience we will increase our own efforts to mediate between the parties started long ago ”, the Bishops said.
“It is time to act! - Uganda needs new peace initiatives and words must be followed by actions. This means promoting interventions at the national and international level”, said Bishop Marx, president of the Justice and Peace commission of the German Bishops.
Lutheran Bishop Koppe, head of foreign affairs for the German Lutheran Church underlined the importance of the peace process in Sudan to reach the end of a civil war in Uganda which has lasted 18 years and caused more than 1.2 million internally displaced persons in Uganda. (MS) (Agenzia Fides, 16/2/2004 - 29 righe, 362 parole)