Nairobi — African Anglican Archbishops yesterday rejected the apology by the American Episcopal Church over the ordination of a homosexual bishop and the wedding of gay couples.

The clerics, representing 50 million faithful, asked their American counterparts to repent instead.

"They have only apologised and not repented," said Dr Reverend Bernard Malango, the Archbishop of Zambia.

"Apology does not make sense to us, the biblical word is repentance," said Kenya's Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi.

They were speaking late yesterday at a news conference in Nairobi at the end of a two days meeting skipped by South Africa's archbishop Njongokulu Ndungane, the only pro-gay voice in Africa.

The meeting dubbed third Trumpet, was chaired by the Nigerian Primate archbishop Peter Akinola was also attended by representatives of representatives from South East Asia, Latin America and Asia.

The Episcopalians last week met in Salt Lake City and issued an apology to the Anglican Churches 'for the hurt' caused by the ordination of Dr Gene Robinson, a homosexual cleric and blessing of same sex marriages.

Dr Akinola also took a swipe at the assertion by archbishop Ndugane that Africa's anti-gay stand was at the expense of poverty, HIV/Aids and conflicts.

"Poverty is not an issue, human suffering are not an issue at all, they were there before the creation of mankind," he said.