02 January 2008

Cleric appeal to Kony


Religious leaders march through Gulu town before praying at Kaunda Grounds
By Dennis Ojwee

ACHOLI religious leaders have asked the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) chief, Joseph Kony, to stop fighting and resume peace negotiations in Juba. The call was made by the Gulu district Khadi, Sheikh Musa Khalil, during the end-of-year peace prayers at Kaunda Grounds.

Referring to last week’s reports that the LRA attacked a Catholic mission in the DR Congo, Khalil asked Kony to restrain his men from targeting civilians.

Other religious leaders present were the Anglican bishop of northern Uganda, the Rt. Rev. Nelson Onono-Onweng, retired Kitgum diocese bishop McLeod Baker Ochola, the vicar-general of Gulu Catholic archdiocese, Monsignor Matthew Odong and Orach from the Orthodox Church.

They also prayed for restoration of peace in Kenya following election violence and in Pakistan where the opposition party leader Benazir Bhutto was assassinated recently. Ochola prayed that Bhutto’s killers be brought to book.

DNU Staff to Nebbi


Bishop Nelson Onono-Onweng led a group of his staff to Nebbi Diocese for a end of year retreat. The team was warmly received by the Bishop of Nebbi Diocese Alfonse Wathokudi and his staff at the Diocese on 27 December 2007. The retreat took them to the famous prayer mountain.
The team of the retreat was Tranformation and the staff looked at their overall activites and how it can tranform the lives of the people in Northern Uganda, especially now that the process of return to original village is underway.