AFRICA/DR CONGO – Bishops’ appeal a few weeks before Pope Francis’ visit: “Stop the war in North Kivu”

AFRICA/DR CONGO – Bishops’ appeal a few weeks before Pope Francis’ visit: “Stop the war in North Kivu”

Kinshasa, Agency Fides – “The horror of war has been going for too long.” We ask the belligerents return to reason”, exhort the Bishops of CENCO. The statement was made by the Bishops of CENCO (National Episcopal Conference of the Congo) in which they expressed concern over “the deterioration of the security circumstances in the province of North Kivu [in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo]”, in particular in the territories of Rutshuru or Nyiragongo. This is due to the intensification of fighting among the FARDC (Armed Forces Congolesee) and the M23 rebels.
After having surrendered their arms in December 2013, the rebel group known as the M23 has resumed hostilities in 2021. Kinshasa claims that the M23 offensive has reopened tensions between Rwanda and the DRC. Kinshasa also accuses Rwanda of aiding the Congolese rebels. Kigali accuses the DRC of giving aid to the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda(FDLRDLR), a Rwandan rebel organization based in North Kivu. Tensions between both countries grew after the Rwandan government decried the kidnapping by the FDLR of two soldiers and accused Kinshasa of being complicit. The mediation of Angola allowed the release of the two soldiers who were apparently captured by the regular Congolese military. CENCO, which sent the statement to Agenzia Fides, stated how instability in North Kivu fuels regional tensions. CENCO also stated that the fighting happens a few months after the Nairobi meetings, where the Heads of State for the Great Lakes Region and the armed group pledged to unify their efforts to achieve peace in the east. The bishops stated that the Great Lakes peoples aspire to lasting peace through better collaboration, from which future generations can profit. “All the more -they add – as the Congolese people mobilize to receive Pope Francis in July as an architect and apostle of reconciliation. They conclude that it is wrong and unhonest to try to deny this people the moment of happiness, which will be a blessing to the entire DRC. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 1/6/2022)

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