ZAMBIA: Local Church Leaders Urged to Promote Peace and Credible Elections
By Sandra Kunda
Local Church leaders in Zambia have been urged to intensify their role in promoting peace, upholding democratic values, and ensuring credible electoral processes.
At the opening of a two-day capacity-building workshop in Lusaka, Zambia, the Secretary General of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB), Fr. Francis Mukosa, underscored the Church’s mission as a moral guide, particularly during electoral periods.
The training, organized by the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM), and ZCCB through Caritas Zambia, brought together local Church leaders to strengthen their capacity in peacebuilding, election observation, and democratic transitions.
Fr. Mukosa observed that Zambia, like many African nations, is at a critical stage in its democratic journey, where safeguarding peace and promoting justice remain essential.
“We gather not by chance, but in response to the urgent need for leaders of faith and conscience to contribute to a society founded on justice, dignity, and the common good,” he said.
Reflecting on the post-electoral period, Fr. Mukosa emphasized that democracy extends beyond the act of voting and calls for continued responsibility and engagement.
Citing the Church’s social teaching, including the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, Fr. Mukosa recalled that political authority exists to serve the common good, promote human dignity, and protect the most vulnerable.
He also highlighted the important role of civil society in fostering accountability and ensuring that the voices of citizens are heard and respected.
Recalling pastoral letters issued by the Bishops of Zambia, Fr. Mukosa noted their consistent call for integrity, justice, and peaceful participation in public life and fight against corruption.
Participants were encouraged to use the training to foster reconciliation in divided communities, carry out election observation with integrity, and contribute to the strengthening of democratic institutions.
Fr. Mukosa further affirmed that peace is grounded in justice, that election observation safeguards the dignity of each citizen, and that democratic transitions must reinforce trust in national institutions.
The first day of the workshop focused on peacebuilding and conflict prevention in electoral contexts, with presentations addressing Church-led peace initiatives, the relationship between elections and peace, the role of the Church, as well as practical tools and approaches to observation missions and AUEOM principles.
The programme brings together participants from Caritas offices across various dioceses, as well as representatives of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ZCBC) among others. It seeks to equip Church leaders with practical tools and a renewed commitment to fostering peaceful and inclusive democratic processes in Zambia and beyond.
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