AMECEA: Justice and Peace Coordinators ask EAC and AU to take action against the ongoing Killings in Burundi
Justice and Peace Coordinators from AMECEA member countries have strongly condemned the increasing killings, torture and human rights violations in Burundi and called for the East African Community (EAC) and African Union (AU) to take action immediately against the crisis.
In their statement issued on 14
December 2015; at the end of their two-day consultative meeting in Nairobi,
Kenya the coordinators stated that Governments in the region seem to have
turned a blind eye to the situation in Burundi as they were asking them and the
international community to immediately to intervene to stop the killings.
December 2015; at the end of their two-day consultative meeting in Nairobi,
Kenya the coordinators stated that Governments in the region seem to have
turned a blind eye to the situation in Burundi as they were asking them and the
international community to immediately to intervene to stop the killings.
The call came after receiving
media reports that just recently alone about 87 people have been killed in
Burundi in the worst outbreak of political violence since an attempted coup in
April, with residents describing victims shot execution-style, some with hands
bound behind their backs.
media reports that just recently alone about 87 people have been killed in
Burundi in the worst outbreak of political violence since an attempted coup in
April, with residents describing victims shot execution-style, some with hands
bound behind their backs.
Full Text of the Press Statement
Statement of AMECEA
Justice and Peace Executive Secretaries at the end of a 2-day Consultative
meeting in Nairobi 14th December 2015
Justice and Peace Executive Secretaries at the end of a 2-day Consultative
meeting in Nairobi 14th December 2015
We the Justice and Peace National
Executive Secretaries meeting in Nairobi, to deliberate on our governance
programmes, regional justice and peace issues and also better mechanisms of
networking had the opportunity to learn from each other and also provide
solidarity and encouragement for the various conferences.
Executive Secretaries meeting in Nairobi, to deliberate on our governance
programmes, regional justice and peace issues and also better mechanisms of
networking had the opportunity to learn from each other and also provide
solidarity and encouragement for the various conferences.
In our deliberations, the African
curse of conflict brought about by the various injustices kept finding its way
back into our conversations. These
conflicts are not new, but they have become more violent and escalate
faster. The South Sudanese issue becomes
the first priority for Association of
Member Episcopal Conference in Eastern Africa – AMECEA region and is at the
bosom of our hearts. But the pain we
feel for our bleeding brothers and sisters does not stop with South Sudan. Not to belittle in anyway this South Sudanese
conflict, our hearts bleed even more when we see what is happening in our neighboring
Association of Episcopal Conferences of Central Africa – (Association des
Conférences Episcopales de l’Afrique Centrale – ACEAC) and
specifically Burundi. It was with this
heart wrenching pain that we interrupted our deliberations on the AMECEA
regional issues to discuss Burundi.
curse of conflict brought about by the various injustices kept finding its way
back into our conversations. These
conflicts are not new, but they have become more violent and escalate
faster. The South Sudanese issue becomes
the first priority for Association of
Member Episcopal Conference in Eastern Africa – AMECEA region and is at the
bosom of our hearts. But the pain we
feel for our bleeding brothers and sisters does not stop with South Sudan. Not to belittle in anyway this South Sudanese
conflict, our hearts bleed even more when we see what is happening in our neighboring
Association of Episcopal Conferences of Central Africa – (Association des
Conférences Episcopales de l’Afrique Centrale – ACEAC) and
specifically Burundi. It was with this
heart wrenching pain that we interrupted our deliberations on the AMECEA
regional issues to discuss Burundi.
Burundi forms part of ACEAC,
which covers 3 countries (Burundi, Rwanda and The Democratic Republic of Congo
– DRC). ACEAC forms one of the 8
regional episcopal conferences under SECAM and directly neighbors AMECEA region
and hence the fire burning in our neighbor’s house cannot be ignored.
which covers 3 countries (Burundi, Rwanda and The Democratic Republic of Congo
– DRC). ACEAC forms one of the 8
regional episcopal conferences under SECAM and directly neighbors AMECEA region
and hence the fire burning in our neighbor’s house cannot be ignored.
History is repeating itself right
in-front of us and we seem hapless and helpless. Politics is once again taking center stage to
cause death and unwarranted destruction.
When does it stop? Egypt, Libya,
Somalia, South Sudan, and and and…
in-front of us and we seem hapless and helpless. Politics is once again taking center stage to
cause death and unwarranted destruction.
When does it stop? Egypt, Libya,
Somalia, South Sudan, and and and…
What shocks us and baffles us
even more, is that Burundi is a strong Catholic country with over 60% of the
community being Catholics. So we ask
ourselves, where is our catechism?
even more, is that Burundi is a strong Catholic country with over 60% of the
community being Catholics. So we ask
ourselves, where is our catechism?
Governments in the region seem to
have turned a blind eye to the situation in Burundi and we ask ourselves, do
the heads of states in the East African Community (EAC) assume that this cannot
happen in any of their countries? How do
we let negative ethnicity drive our countries?
What are we preparing our children and grandchildren to inherit?
have turned a blind eye to the situation in Burundi and we ask ourselves, do
the heads of states in the East African Community (EAC) assume that this cannot
happen in any of their countries? How do
we let negative ethnicity drive our countries?
What are we preparing our children and grandchildren to inherit?
The international community has
been asked time and again to intervene in Burundi. The results have been more and more talking.
We should, act and talk less.
been asked time and again to intervene in Burundi. The results have been more and more talking.
We should, act and talk less.
We as the Justice and Peace
Executive Secretaries in the AMECEA Region would like to make the following cry
of mercy.
Executive Secretaries in the AMECEA Region would like to make the following cry
of mercy.
1.
We call upon the national conferences within the regions of AMECEA and
ACEAC to take a lead role in publicly engaging with the different political
leaders and governments to put pressure on them to ensure this indifference
they are showing comes to an end.
We call upon the national conferences within the regions of AMECEA and
ACEAC to take a lead role in publicly engaging with the different political
leaders and governments to put pressure on them to ensure this indifference
they are showing comes to an end.
2.
We are calling upon the catholic faithful in the AMECEA region and in
Africa under the auspices of Symposium of Episcopal Conferences for Africa and
Madagascar (SECAM) to show solidarity with Burundi and rise up with one voice
against this violence.
We are calling upon the catholic faithful in the AMECEA region and in
Africa under the auspices of Symposium of Episcopal Conferences for Africa and
Madagascar (SECAM) to show solidarity with Burundi and rise up with one voice
against this violence.
3.
We are proposing that we, as Christians and people of good faith are
given space through appointment of a special peace envoy to Burundi to
work with the government and the so-called rebels to cease hostilities.
We are proposing that we, as Christians and people of good faith are
given space through appointment of a special peace envoy to Burundi to
work with the government and the so-called rebels to cease hostilities.
4.
We are asking the East African Community and the African Union to take
up their obligations and mandates to show ethical leadership by discussing the
Burundi conflict and engaging all parties involved in the conflict so as
to achieve long lasting peace in Burundi, in the region and in the continent. It is time we discuss negative ethnicity as a
region and continent especially where it is used to bring about armed conflict.
We are asking the East African Community and the African Union to take
up their obligations and mandates to show ethical leadership by discussing the
Burundi conflict and engaging all parties involved in the conflict so as
to achieve long lasting peace in Burundi, in the region and in the continent. It is time we discuss negative ethnicity as a
region and continent especially where it is used to bring about armed conflict.
5.
And lastly to the leadership in Burundi. Your people
are your greatest asset. You are destroying your greatest asset.
And lastly to the leadership in Burundi. Your people
are your greatest asset. You are destroying your greatest asset.
We pray that with this cry, our
catholic faithful will live their Christian life and act against this violence
that is killing our children.
catholic faithful will live their Christian life and act against this violence
that is killing our children.
God bless
1.
Antony Mbandi – AMECEA Justice
Peace and Caritas
Antony Mbandi – AMECEA Justice
Peace and Caritas
2.
Dr. Emmanuel Kiiza Aliba – Uganda
CJPC
Dr. Emmanuel Kiiza Aliba – Uganda
CJPC
3.
Martin Chiphwanya – Malawi CJPC
Martin Chiphwanya – Malawi CJPC
4.
Berhanu Tamene – AU /SECAM
Liaison Office; Ethiopia
Berhanu Tamene – AU /SECAM
Liaison Office; Ethiopia
5.
Melaku Tamrat – Ethiopia CJPC
Melaku Tamrat – Ethiopia CJPC
6.
Beatrice Odera – Kenya CJPC
Beatrice Odera – Kenya CJPC
7.
Jim Long John – CJPC South Sudan
Jim Long John – CJPC South Sudan
Nairobi, 14 December 2015
