Religious leaders from the East African Community (EAC) partner states and South Sudan have vowed to use their influence to bring an end to several conflicts that have plagued the region for years.

The commitment was made Tuesday by about 100 clerics from the region who are in Kigali for a four-day conference.

The conference aims at discussing the role of religion in promoting peace and security in the EAC region.

Although most clerics think that their contribution toward peace is minimal, they believe in their power to influence peace through changing people’s attitudes.

"Conflicts can be settled peacefully but this calls for concerted efforts,” said Bishop Michael Toban Toro, the chairperson of South Sudan Council of Churches.

If we indeed want to have a continent free of violence, all stakeholders, including religions leaders must be brought on board, that’s why we are having this maiden gathering to strategise on the way forward,” he added.

South Sudan has for long been embroiled in conflicts that have left hundreds of thousands killed and millions displaced.

Kenya and Uganda have suffered a series of terrorist attacks by Al Qaeda militants who claim affiliation to the Islamic faith.

However, the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims, sheikh Adan Wachu, rebuked those who commit violence in the name of religion, saying it’s against the teachings of the Islamic faith.

"Islam preaches peace. Anyone who commits or encourages terrorism is not a Muslim,” Sheikh Wachu told The New Times.

According to organisers, the four-day conference aims at enhancing the commitment of religious leaders in the promotion of peace and security in the region.

Rwanda experienced the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi that left over a million people killed. Some of the perpetrators of the Genocide were religious leaders.

But the Anglican Archbishop of Rwanda, Onesphore Rwaje, said Rwanda has a lot to offer to EAC in terms of the role of religious leaders in peace building and conflict resolution.

"I strongly believe that religious leaders have a significant role to play in promoting peace by actively encouraging dialogue wherever conflicts arise,” Rwaje said.

Addressing the conference, the EAC Secretary General, Dr Richard Sezibera, observed that one of the most important findings of cross-cultural conflict resolution research is that religion is a perennial and perhaps inevitable factor in both conflict and conflict resolution.

"The use of religion to justify terror is a serious concern in our region and beyond. Religious scholars and leaders tell us that it is not religion but superstition in the name of religion that is responsible for these vices,” he said.

Opening the meeting, the Minister for Local Government, Francis Kaboneka, pointed out that: "In EAC, we have learnt that a threat to peace and security in one member state is a threat to the entire community.

"That is why we jointly renounce evil whenever it crops up in any corner of the region.”

Delegates are expected to agree on the core values that should guide the roles of religious communities in matters of peace and security as well as the relationship between the State and religious institutions.

The Kigali meeting follows recommendations from the 2nd EAC Conference on Peace and Security held in Bujumbura, Burundi, last year, that called for the involvement of religious leaders through the Inter-Religious Councils (IRCs) in peace building.