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Catholic Bishops Decry Rights Violation in DR Congo after Conference Official’s Passport Confiscated at Airport

Sabrine Amboka

By Sabrine Amboka

Kinshasa, 28 February, 2025 / 8:51 pm (ACI Africa).

Catholic Bishops in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have raised alarm over rising violations of the freedom of movement in the Central African nation after an incident involving the Secretary General of their Conference.

In statement seen by ACI Africa on Friday, February 28, members of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) say that the passport of Mons. Donatien Nshole was confiscated for over an hour at the Luano International Airport in Lubumbashi after he landed at the airport from a peace meeting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Accompanied by the President of CENCO, Archbishop Fulgence Muteba Mugalu, Mons. Nshole had just attended a meeting of the Association of Episcopal Conferences of Central Africa (ACEAC) on the search for peace in the DRC and the Great Lakes Sub-region.

In the statement, CENCO reports that on their way back from the February 26 meeting, Mons. Nshole “had his passport confiscated for over an hour by the Services of the General Directorate of Migration” at the airport “under the instruction of their superiors.”

“No explanation was provided for this incident,” CENCO members say in their statement dated February 26.

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They add, “CENCO protests and strongly condemns this serious attempt to violate the freedom of movement of a Church leader of such rank. It emphasizes that such provocations do not support the peaceful search for peace and social cohesion.”

ACEAC, which comprises Catholic Bishops in Burundi, DRC and Rwanda has been actively involved in peacebuilding initiatives in the region especially in DRC, urging regional, continental and global leaders to prioritize a solution that promotes human dignity and respects for human rights in the crisis. 

The conflict in the DRC has escalated significantly in recent months, with the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group making substantial territorial gains.

On January 27, the reportedly Rwandan-backed M23 rebels announced that its forces had taken over the capital of the Eastern Province of the DRC, Goma, Reuters reported. On February 16, M23 rebels reportedly captured the second-largest city of Eastern DRC, Bukavu, according to a Reuters report. In seizing Bukavu, a key mining city in South Kivu province, learning institutions and businesses have been disrupted with a mass exodus of residents and Congolese soldiers.

Some latest reports about the protracted crisis in mineral-rich East of the DR Congo have indicated that over 7,000 people have been killed since the crisis intensified in late January amid other dehumanizing atrocities. Some 70 bodies were found inside a church building.

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The February 26 discussions involving CENCO in Dar es Salaam reportedly centered on enhancing collaborative efforts to restore peace in the conflict-ridden Eastern DRC, emphasizing the escalating violence that has led to widespread displacement and a severe humanitarian crisis.

In their February 26 statement, CENCO members reaffirmed their commitment and determination to continue pushing for peace and the well-being of living together in the DRC and the Great Lakes.

Catholic Bishops in DRC have said they hope that such an injustice as the one meted against Mons. Nshole “will not happen again.”

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