Bishops of Rwanda and Burundi Ask for Peace, Reconciliation

VATICAN CITY, FEB 19, 1998 (VIS) - Made public today was a letter, dated February 17 and signed by 12 bishops of the Association of Episcopal Conferences of Rwanda and Burundi (ACOREB), in which the African prelates ask for peace for their countries and an end to the embargo which isolates Burundi.

They recall that the Church in Burundi is celebrating the first centenary of evangelization, and that Rwanda will observe the same anniversary in the year 2000. Within this framework, write the bishops, "we appeal to Christian leaders to restore peace in our two countries. ... We launch a new and pressing appeal to our Christian communities and encourage them to practice justice, pardon and reconciliation. ... We strongly exhort all of our communities to fight with determination against ethnocentrism, this virus of division which has undermined our countries for so long."

In conclusion they write: "In the face of the embargo which isolates Burundi from the international community and which makes the most vulnerable parts of the population suffer, ACOREB demands that this economic blockage be lifted."

.../APPEAL/BURUNDI:RWANDA VIS 980219 (180)
av Webmaster publisert 28.06.1998, sist endret 28.06.1998 - 23:45