Church launches Angola peace effort

Church launches Angola peace effort

The Catholic church in Angola this weekend launched a new campaign to try and bring about an end to the long-running civil war, reports said on Monday. The campaign is a joint effort between the Catholic church and the international human rights group - the Open Society Foundation.

Reports said that as part of the campaign, an "informal referendum" against the war was launched in the capital Luanda on Saturday. The church planned to canvass the entire nation asking citizens to cast ballots for or against peace. Guests attending the launch had the chance to air their views in a debate, which was broadcast live on the Catholic radio station, Radio Ecclesia reports said.

Francisco de Mata Mourisca, the head of the Angolan Catholic peace movement, was quoted as saying that the attitude of government and rebels reflected an "incomprehensible logic". "Not wanting to make war, yet making war; not wanting to kill, but ordering killings; not wanting there to be deaths, but causing deaths," he said.

The message of the church's new campaign, reports added, was that political rivalries should be set aside in favour of peace. It argued that those waging the war were those who were least affected by its consequences. Previous failed peace efforts have centred on diplomatic efforts to negotiate a settlement between the government and UNITA.