AMECEA Chairman Calls for Fair Process for Archbishop Banda

Archbishop Gervas Nyaisonga, chairman of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA), called for a fair and transparent legal process following the arrest of Archbishop Alick Banda of Lusaka, Zambia. In a letter of solidarity dated October 1, Nyaisonga addressed the President of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Ignatius Chama, requesting that the proceedings remain free from political considerations and respect the dignity of the Archbishop's sacred office.

The AMECEA chairman stated that the Eastern Africa bishops received news of Archbishop Banda's September 28 arrest with deep concern. Nyaisonga noted that AMECEA cannot remain silent when a fellow bishop is arrested, though he clarified that their solidarity does not place any individual above the law or prejudge the court proceedings. He requested that Archbishop Banda be granted the presumption of innocence and that the facts presented by Zambian bishops be given full weight.

This follows an extraordinary meeting on September 30 where Zambian bishops appealed for a commitment to human dignity, stating that political interests, party loyalty, or ethnic identity cannot justify violating human dignity.