Contact: Juan Michel, World Council of Churches, +41 22 791 6153, +41 79 507 6363, media@wcc-coe.org

MEDIA ADVISORY, June 18 /Standard Newswire/ -- In a letter to the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, the World Council of Churches (WCC) has expressed continued concern about the situation in Zimbabwe and asked the world body to utilize its resources to assure an end to pre-election violence in the southern African country and a free and fair election on 27 June.

The letter, which comes from the WCC general secretary, Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, states the dismay of the council and its member churches "at the news of the brutality meted out by police and other government forces in Zimbabwe."

Referring to President Robert Mugabe's statement last week that he would "go to war" rather than acknowledge an election victory by the opposition, Kobia affirms: "This attitude on the part of the president undermines the integrity of elections and belittles the Zimbabwean electorate."

"Where the Mugabe government fails in its responsibility to protect the Zimbabwean people, the international community must assume that burden; in this endeavour, the United Nations should assume a leading role", the WCC letter adds.

Churches in the region report on atrocities

Accompanying the letter is an extensive dossier compiled by the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa about the situation in Zimbabwe. The dossier was prepared under the leadership of Dr Allan Boesak of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa and presents graphic details of violence as well as a review of materials already released through the media and other sources.

Kobia says in his letter that "in light of the reports we have received" the WCC is calling for a number of steps to be taken including an end to the atrocities as reported in the dossier. The council appeals to the government of Zimbabwe to assure free and fair elections, allowing for election monitors and the distribution of food and other humanitarian aid and calls on the churches in southern Africa to initiate a healing and reconciliation process immediately following the elections.

The WCC has invited its member churches to pray for Zimbabwe on Sunday, 22 June, as the beginning of a season of prayer for the people and government of the country.

The WCC sent the letter to the UN secretary general on Wednesday, 18 June from its offices in Geneva.

Full text of the letter:
http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=6044

ENI featured article on Zimbabwe:
http://eni.ch/featured/article.php?id=1995

WCC member churches in Zimbabwe:
http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=4654

Additional information: Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 349 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 560 million Christians in over 110 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, from the Methodist Church in Kenya. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.