A two-day “Global Peace Builders Conference” organised by Faith-based organisations, the Aegis Trust, Rwanda Youth Action Network and Rwanda Civil Society Platform brought together religious leaders from the Central African Republic and youth leaders from South Sudan, as well as Rwandan peace builders, in Kigali over the 7th and 8th of August.
The delegation from the Central African Republic comprised both Christian and Muslim leaders. Among the CAR delegation were Rev. Nicolas Guérékoyame-Gbangou, President of CAR’s Evangelical Alliance; Archbishop Dieudonné Nzapalainga, Catholic Archbishop of the capital Bangui and Imam Omar Kobine Layama, President of the Central African Islamic Community.
Aru Chot and Tinna Aring Madut, youth representatives from South Sudan, came to learn from Rwanda’s experience hoping that they will go back as stronger advocates of peace in their communities.
After visiting the Kigali Genocide Memorial and laying a wreath where some 250,000 people lie buriedin mass graves, Rev. Nicolas Guérékoyame-Gbangou spoke on behalf of the delegation from CAR. “As a nation you marked a difference and you continue to be an inspiration to other African countries,” he said, praising Rwandans for choosing to reconcile and unite. He reminded his own people that they are the ones who need to find solutions for the crisis in CAR, not internationals: “If nothing is done fast to bring peace and unity, they will suffer and regret even more than Rwandans.”
The Mufti of Rwanda, Sheikh Ibrahim Kayitare, who led coordination of this initiative, emphasized the role of everyone in the rebuilding of a nation. “Where Rwanda is today, it’s been a collective work and a milestone taking place because everyone played his role in the rebuilding of this country. Faith leaders, no matter what denominations, all aimed at helping Rwandans turn faith into action, gaining skills in peace-building and sustainable civic, economic and social development,” he said. “We are all here to pursue one objective: contributing what we can to see security, stability and peace emerge in our respective countries, the region and Africa as a whole.”
Speaking at the conference, Local Government Minister Francis Kaboneka said that ethics should be priorities for everyone in their area of influence and for religious leaders it is on a big scale as one of the institutions with mass membership. “Evangelism should go hand in hand with teaching followers/believers the morals and values of living in harmony with one another,” he said. In his remarks he also urged youth in CAR and South Sudan not to follow blindly everything that their elders feed them as they can be used to act on ideologies that result in mass atrocities. He concluded with a promise of continuous support from the Rwandan government for the two countries in their efforts to build lasting peace.
