Catholic Information Service for Africa (Nairobi)
4 March 2008
press release
Christian and other religious leaders have welcomed the power-sharing agreement signed last week to end the country's post-election crisis. A statement by the Inter-Religious Forum (IRF) follows:
The signing of an agreement between President Mwai Kibaki and Hon Raila Odinga last Thursday was a historic moment. It has given a new lease of life, injected hope and confidence in Kenyans and given minimum conditions for restoration of normalcy.
We as the Inter-Religious Forum thank the Panel of Eminent African Persons led by His Excellency Koffi Annan and members of the International Community for the focus they maintained in pursuit of this political settlement.
We thank the members of the negotiating teams as well as President Kibaki and Hon. Raila Odinga for their contribution in this process.
We are aware that the bulk of the necessary work in re-settling of the IDPs, creating a framework for national healing and reconciliation, reviewing of the constitution, land reforms and reforming of our national institutions among other things is only beginning.
The resettlement of IDPs and the attendant justice is critical and must be given primacy. We urge that the mediators and all stakeholders face the issues that threaten our nationhood with courage, boldness, honesty, truth and objectivity and with as much focus, urgency and dedication as we have seen in the last few weeks.
While the political mediators are key stakeholders in this process, the remaining stages call for the inclusion of other stakeholders in the ongoing process. This is important to allow enhanced objectivity and sensibility in the whole exercise. This is the process that will make Kenyans own the outcomes arrived at and invest their energies in their support.
We assure Kenyans of our continued support and commitment to contribute fully in the emerging national dialogue and the search for lasting peace. We urge parliament to now rise to the occasion with integrity and to progress the things achieved so far and offer leadership in the re-engineering of our nation Kenya.
We urge all Kenyans not to be complacent but to remain vigilant, engaged and supportive in the search for lasting peace. We appeal to our international friends to follow up their goodwill towards us with adequate and tangible support towards peace, healing, reconciliation and reconstruction.
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