Congolese Catholic Church Lauded for Commitment to Fostering Dialogue in Embattled Region

Goma, 07 February, 2025 / 11:29 PM

Members of the Inter-Regional Meeting of the Bishops of Southern Africa (IMBISA) have hailed the efforts by the Catholic Church in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to foster dialogues, and end fighting in the eastern region of the country.

In their statement on Friday, February 7, the Bishops from the nine-member secretariat noted that the Church in DRC has shown closeness with those affected by the war. 

“IMBISA praises the commitment of the Congolese Catholic Church for its involvement in promoting dialogue and its entire commitment to this approach to find a peaceful way out of the crisis, as well as the role it has played in building peace and assures its ready prayer and comfort to all those affected!” the Bishops said.

The Bishops expressed their solidarity with the Church in DRC amid reports of the “worst escalation” of the protracted violent conflict in the mineral-rich part of the country.

“IMBISA condemns all types of violence and joins the voice of the universal and regional Church and the Congolese Episcopal Conference in solidarity in condemning all types of violence that have led to loss of human life and suffering resulting from these conflicts,” said the Bishops from Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Sao Tome and Principe, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

“Eastern Congo is plunged into chaos,” the Bishops lamented, noting that Goma, a town in eastern DRC is has become “the scene of fierce clashes between the Congolese army and the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group.”

The M23 soldiers, the Bishops said, had created an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the region. “The situation is very serious and delicate. The heavy fighting left many dead and injured among civilians and soldiers deployed as part of two conflicting forces,” they said.

The Bishops have expressed their concern about the escalation of conflicts in DRC, calling for the intervention of the international community and internal and regional forces.

The IMBISA members have also urged all parties to the conflict to commit to the cessation of hostilities and the protection of the civilian population in Goma and other areas affected by military operations.

“As the Holy Father, Pope Francis, says at the end of the weekly public audience in Vatican City, January 29, 2025: “War is always a defeat, let us pray for peace”. Therefore, we ask everyone to pray for peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo,” the Bishop said in the statement that was signed by the IMBISA Secretary General, Bishop Rudolf Nyandoro of Zimbabwe’s Catholic Diocese of Gweru.

Sabrine Amboka contributed to the writing of this story.