Kenya: Apostolic Nuncio appeals for peace

As he led a celebration to mark the fourth year of Pope Benedict XVI's pontificate on Sunday, the Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya, Archbishop Alain Paul Lebeaupin urged Kenyans to pray for peace, justice and reconciliation in the country. He also urged them to say 'never again' to the violence which took place after the country's general elections on 27 December. According to some estimates, as many as 1,000 people were killed; over 350,000 people internally displaced and properties worth of thousands of dollars destroyed. And one of the major challenges of the Government now is to resettled the vast numbers of people who have lost their homes and are now waiting in refugee camps. Chairman of the Government-sponsored resettlement program, retired Catholic archbishop Ndingi Mwana a'Nzeki said as many as 130,000 IDPs were still in the camps. Many are afraid to return home. he said, because they still fear violence. Local Catholic bishops have recently promised to keep raising the issue-resettlement of IDPs with the Government until the problem is resolved. "We shall not get tired and on the contrary, we shall to speak on their behalf until a sound solution is established" Archbishop Boniface Lele of the metropolitan archdiocese of Mombasa.said recently.