Uganda 
Ugandan govt apologises to the Church

afrol News, 21 February - A Ugandan government spokesperson is now asking the world's Christian communities to forgive the brutal murder of Archbishop Janani Luwum, which was committed by the Idi Amin government in 1977.

Zamzam Kasujja, Deputy Director for Legal affairs of Uganda's government, announced she "on behalf of the government of the Republic of Uganda and on my own behalf, we wish to apologise to the global Church for the sins of our predecessors." She in particular referred to the paranoid dictator Idi Amin, ruling in Uganda in 1971-79.

- The murder of Archbishop Luwum by the Amin Government not only robbed the Church of a courageous and committed leader but also plunged our country into economic, political and religious lows never seen before," said Ms Kasujja. Archbishop Janani Luwum was murdered on 16 February 1977 together with two other outspoken government ministers in cold blood.

Ms Kasujja presented this official apology at a memorial church ceremony at the Anglican community in Kitemu. In a message from current Archbishop Mpalanyi Nkoyooyo, it was further said that Mr Luwum's memory keeps living on in the Ugandan church and remains a great source of inspiration.

- But perhaps more importantly, the martyrdom of the Archbishop epitomises a spirit of resilience which we celebrate this morning, Mrs Kasujja of the Ugandan government encouraged her listeners.

- Archbishop Luwum's commitment to the Gospel, even in the face of death, reminds us to go out and renew our lives and the world around us, Archbishop Nkoyooyo added. "To make our journey in life shine with a star's delight; and the God of our Pilgrimage will be with us throughout life and death," he said.

The murdered archbishop was recently named one of the principal martyrs of the 20th century by the British Archbishop of Canterbury. At the same occasion, his statute was unveiled on the west front of Westminster Abbey in London.

Idi Amin came to power in an armed coup in 1971. The practically illiterate general rapidly developed paranoid signs and became responsible for the brutal slaughtering of most of Uganda's elite of that time. The dictator, who still lives in Saudi Arabia, was only dethroned as troops from neighbouring Tanzania marched into Uganda to put an end to the Amin regime in 1979.

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