African leaders marking Christmas Day call for peace, unity

LUSAKA, Zambia / JUBA, South Sudan / LILONGWE, Malawi

African leaders on Wednesday urged peace and unity as believers across nations of the continent marked Christmas Day.

"May the season of love, unity, reconciliation and peace set the tone for the year ahead," Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema said in a televised address to the nation.

On the eve of the holiday for the Christian community, Hichilema on Tuesday pardoned 759 prisoners and commuted the sentences of 17 others.

Salva Kiir Mayardit, the president of South Sudan, urged all people to embrace peace and unity during the festive season.

“Let this holiday be a time when we come together in a shared commitment to a peaceful, prosperous, and united South Sudan," he said.

"As we celebrate this Christmas, may we carry the message of peace and hope in our hearts into the New Year,” said Kiir in an address to the nation.

The government is "committed to ensuring a peaceful and secure environment, not only during the festive season but throughout the year," he pledged.

Namibia’s President Nangolo Mbumba urged the nation to "share and care under the banner 'one Namibia, one nation'."

"While many of us enjoy a well-deserved break, let us not forget those who continue to work tirelessly to keep our nation safe and functioning," he said.

"Our essential workers across various sectors and the brave men and women in uniform who protect our peace day and night, to them, I extend my deepest gratitude for their unwavering dedication and selflessness," said Mbumba.

In Mozambique, hit by violence in the wake of disputed polls, religious leaders appealed for peace to prevail in the country.

In their Christmas messages, the leaders bemoaned the escalating violence in the country and its hindering local Christians from marking the Christmas holiday in a "normal way."

At least 151 people have been killed in Mozambique in deadly protests after a winner was declared in the widely disputed Oct. 9 presidential elections.

In Malawi, President Lazarus Chakwera called for unity to prevail in the deeply politically divided Southern African nation.