News
In a statement on Liberia, the World Council of Churches (WCC) Central Committee meeting in Geneva 26 August-2 September 2003 expressed its appreciation for the work of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), its armed monitoring group ECOMOG, and the country's religious leaders in promoting a peace agreement and a transitional government.
Condemning the violence both of Charles Taylor's government and the rebel groups LURD and MODEL, the statement noted the great suffering of the Liberian people, and urged member churches to support the work for peace of the Liberian Council of Churches. It also called on churches and church-related agencies around the world, particularly those in the US - because of its historical links with Liberia - to provide humanitarian assistance and support to Liberian churches as they work for peace and the restoration of an harmonious community life.
In a separate minute, the Central Committee also acknowledged the socio-economic and political crisis in Zimbabwe as a serious challenge to the country's churches and to the wider ecumenical family. According to the Committee, the government's land resettlement programme has led to serious human rights violations, and has brought the country to the verge of ruin. The Committee expressed solidarity with Zimbabwe's churches, and urged WCC member churches to condemn acts of violence there. It also expressed support for the initiatives of Zimbabwe's churches to redress the inequities of land distribution.
Discussing the continuing unrest in Africa's Great Lakes region, the Committee asked the WCC and the All Africa Conference of Churches to help channel resources to local churches, and to help identify an enabler to promote peace between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.
The Committee also noted the continuing need for peace and reconciliation in Sudan. The conflict in Sudan is the 2003 focus of the WCC's Decade to Overcome Violence.