Anglican Communion News Service

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, has appointed the Rt Revd David Birney, a senior bishop from the Episcopal Church in the United States, to act as his envoy to the Anglican Church in Rwanda. Bishop Birney's appointment to this post also has the blessing of the Primate of the Episcopal Church, USA, the Most Revd Edmond L Browning. The Archbishop has appointed Bishop Birney at the request of the Dean of the Province of the Episcopal Church of Rwanda, the Rt Revd Onesphore Rwaje. Dr Carey has outlined Bishop Birney's fourfold task as:

1. Working closely with each bishop, and with the whole House of Bishops, to assist them in their working relationship with one another.
2. Assisting the Church in its relationship with the Government and to work towards a resolution of the outstanding legal problem relating to the status of the Dioceses and the Province of Rwanda.
3. Investigating the possibility of setting up an appropriate form of independent inquiry into the role of the church in the genocide in 1994.
4. Seeking to make contact with communities of refugees from Rwanda at present living in camps in Tanzania and Zaire to discuss the prospects of these refugees returning to Rwanda in due time.

Bishop Birney's initial stay will be up to one month, although he may be asked to return later in the year for a longer period.

Mr Martin Cavender will return to Rwanda in a legal capacity to assist in negotiations with the Government. Mr Cavender heads the Archbishop's evangelism project "Springboard" and is an ecclesiastical lawyer.