Insecurity in North Kivu Province Cause for Concern for Catholic Bishops in DR Congo

“The people of the Great Lakes region aspire to a lasting peace through better cooperation that can benefit present and future generations,” Catholic Bishops in DRC said.

Last week, thousands of people are said to have fled their homes as fighting between FARDC and M23 rebels continued in the territory of Nyiragongo, near Goma, the capital of North Kivu, Reuters reported.

The latest wave of violence in North Kivu province comes as the country prepares to welcome Pope Francis in the first leg of his two-African-nation pastoral visit that is to see him proceed to South Sudan in an ecumenical trip alongside the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, Jim Wallace.

In their May 28 collective statement, CENCO members said, “The Congolese people, who have suffered too much and whose tears never cease to flow because of conflicts over partisan interests, are mobilizing to welcome the Holy Father, Pope Francis, in July, who is coming as a peacemaker and as an apostle of reconciliation.”

“It is neither just nor honorable to try to prevent these people from this moment of happiness which will be a source of blessing for our country, the DR Congo,” they further said, and regretted the fact that “the nightmare of war has lasted too long.”

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“CENCO asks the warring parties to come to their senses and seek dialogue,” they said, adding that those involved in the violence “should immediately put an end to this umpteenth battle, which only pushes the Congolese people into misery.”

The Catholic Bishops further said, “Arms have never been an effective solution to claims, even political ones.”

“Indeed, the use of violence gives a pretense of peace to those who use it. At the same time, it sets the stage for future violence. The history of our sub-region reminds us of this,” they added in their May 28 collective statement.

CENCO members urged “competent authorities and the international community, in particular MONUSCO, to use all the means at their disposal to ensure that this part of the country regains peace as soon as possible without giving priority to those responsible for these atrocities.”

They asked the people of God in DRC to “encourage our courageous FARDC soldiers who are at the front and to denounce any person identified as an enemy of peace.” 

“May the People of God in Goma not give in to panic, but continue to mobilize to give the Holy Father a welcome worthy of him,” CENCO members said in their May 28 statement, and implored, “Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Consoler of the afflicted, may God grant the grace of peace to our country, the DRC.”

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.