“Rwandan-backed rebels marched into eastern Congo's largest city Goma on Monday, and the U.N. said they were supported by at least some regular Rwandan troops, in the worst escalation of a long-running conflict for more than a decade,” the January 27 Reuters report indicates.
According to the report, “A rebel alliance spearheaded by the ethnic Tutsi-led M23 militia said it had seized the lakeside city of more than 2 million people, a hub for displaced people and aid groups lying on the border with Rwanda and last occupied by M23 in 2012.”
In his remarks during the January 29 General Audience, Pope Francis also expressed concern about the situation in DRC’s capital, Kinshasa, where recent unrest has led to violence and destruction of property.
“I follow with apprehension what is happening in the capital, Kinshasa, hoping that all forms of violence against people and their property will cease as soon as possible,” he said.
Pope Francis who has repeatedly called for peace in the DRC renewed his appeal to both local authorities and the international community to seek peaceful solutions to the crisis.
“While I pray for the speedy restoration of peace and security, I call on the local authorities and the international community for maximum efforts to resolve the conflict situation by peaceful means,” the Holy Father said.
The Holy Father's appeal comes amid growing concerns from humanitarian organizations and religious leaders in the DRC, who have been urging for diplomatic and political interventions to end the cycle of violence.
On January 28, members of the Africa Christian Professionals Forum (ACPF) called for an end to the escalating violence in Goma, noting that the violence has already caused immense destruction and inconceivable suffering among the people.
On their part, members of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) have expressed their closeness with families of soldiers who lost their lives in the violence.
Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.