NEW YORK, Oct. 16, 2015 / PRNewswire — We, religious leaders and heads of multi-religious organizations, extend our deep condolences to and unite in solidarity with the families and all affected by the violence in the Central African Republic. Our thoughts and prayers are with the suffering people of the Central African Republic.

We strongly denounce the recently reported escalating violence and tragic loss of life in the Central African Republic. We regret the fact that some within both the Muslim and Christian communities have resorted to violence. We reject appeals to violence from any quarter, including in particular any mistaken attempts to justify violence on religious grounds. We appeal to all to stop the violence so that together we can build peace with justice.

At the same time, we salute and applaud the many sincere Muslims and Christians in the Central African Republic who have rightly rejected appeals to violence and rightly embraced the responsibility to protect all others and build peace. We urge you to remain steadfast in your commitments to peace.

We further urge all countries, particularly the neighboring states, the USA, France, Morocco, and Mauritania, as well as the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) to use available resources and means to assist in ending the violence.

We note that peace in the Central African Republic is essential for peace in its neighboring states and across Africa. Therefore as we appeal to the religious believers in the Central African Republic, we also call upon the religious communities in its neighboring states, across Africa and beyond to unite both in rejecting violence and building the respectful and principled bonds of solidarity across all religious communities for peace.

As religious leaders and heads of multi-religious organizations, we are committed to supporting the people of the Central African Republic to secure a just peace. As a first step, we will work together to convene religious leaders from the Central African Republic and the region to develop a plan of action for peace.

Signatories:
Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies
Religions for Peace
Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers
The International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID)
Caritas Internationalis
National Council of Churches