As conflict continues to rage within the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Protestant and Catholic leaders are united of their prayers that peace and humanity will return to the troubled country.
Rebel group M23 recently claimed to have taken the eastern city of Goma. The militants are allegedly backed by neighbouring Rwanda and there have also been reports that Rwandan armed forces have entered the DRC.
The DRC claims that Rwanda has its eyes on a few of its mineral wealthy eastern territories, while Rwanda accuses the DRC of backing militants in its territory and of harbouring key figures behind the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Churchmen on the bottom have painted a bleak picture of the toll the conflict is taking over the bottom. The Catholic Bishop of Goma, Willy Ngumbi Ngengele, claimed that several newborn babies had died following the bombing of Goma’s General Charity Maternity Hospital.
The Anglican Bishop of Goma and a Church Mission Society partner, Martin Gordon, gave his own assessment of the situation: “On Friday, the predominant power line to Goma was hit by the M23, leaving much of the town without power. Large areas are also without water. Communications are unreliable, and food prices have doubled. On Sunday morning, we received reports that the Rwandan army crossed the border into Goma, violating Congolese territorial sovereignty. Fighting for control of the town continues.
“There has been a jail break and widespread looting. Many residents are cowering in fear, unable to speak with family members. Eyewitnesses report bodies within the streets, while NGOs and hospitals have been targeted. Reports of sexual violence add one other layer of trauma for a population that has already suffered an excessive amount of. The full scale of the destruction will take days to emerge.”
Bishop Gordon pointed to Jesus Christ because the only hope the country has for peace, “The place we all the time start is peace with God through Jesus Christ. Before we will make peace, we must first find peace ourselves.”
Both bishops have urged people to hope for the leaders of the DRC and Rwanda to search out a peaceful solution to the crisis, and for the several tribes and communities to search out it inside themselves to live at peace with one another.
Millions of individuals have been displaced inside the DRC attributable to the continued conflict.
Catholic Archbishop Francois Xavier Maroy lamented the fate the people in comments to Aid to the Church in Need: “For two years, a lot of our brothers and sisters have had nothing apart from their eyes to weep and their feet to flee, sometimes with out a destination – and even the camps for the displaced aren’t secure.”
