Butembo-Beni, 09 July, 2023 / 8:50 pm (ACI Africa).
The myriad and regularity of life-threatening challenges in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) give the impression that there is no functional government, Bishop Melchisedec Sikuli Paluku of the country’s Catholic Diocese of Butembo-Beni has lamented.
Speaking at the conclusion of his pastoral visit to St. Conrad Kasindi Parish of his Episcopal See on Wednesday, July 5, Bishop Paluku said, “We're in a state of malaise, where people are killed every day, raped every day, and attacked from all sides. We seem to think we're not governed.”
“We really need to take care of ourselves. We can't wait for the outside world. We can't wait for the outside nations to come and build, to hand over peace, security, development and quality education to our children,” he added.
The Congolese Catholic Bishop appealed to the political leadership of the Central African nation to prioritize citizen’s welfare, lamenting, “I can't say that this crowd I've just seen enjoys that well-being.”
“Congolese authorities must ensure the welfare of the population,” Bishop Paluku emphasized, adding, “It's up to us Congolese to see to that. Corruption has become a system.”