EngRegional
DRC clergy urges govt to respect peace agreements. Will they be heard?
The
National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) urged the Congolese government
to respect the ceasefire agreement signed at the end of July in Luanda, Angola,
between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) so that it does not
remain a dead document like previous accords.
Members
of the CENCO noted that: “All parties should take into consideration the
pressing need to enable all these women, children, and men, displaced by the
force of recurrent insecurity, to live in dignity and peace in their homelands
as people created in the image and likeness of God.”
The
Bishops observed that while there is a slight evolution in the direction of
ending the trivialization of life in DRC, they appealed for the solidarity of
international partners to adequately support the roadmap towards peace.
According
to a press release from the Angolan presidency, the Luanda ceasefire agreement,
signed at the end of the second ministerial meeting was due to take effect by
August.
Between
2022 and July 2024, Congolese bishops carried out numerous awareness-raising
campaigns to raise awareness of the Congolese crisis among international
partners and encourage them to become more involved.
However, the Bishops' Conference notes that international partners did not consider the war in the east of the DRC a priority. They call on the international community to bolster its support for the agreement, and urge global partners to prioritize the situation in DRC and ensure that the roadmap to peace is “fully implemented.”
Kinshasa
has repeatedly failed to respect peace processes. If Tshisekedi really wishes
peace for the Congolese, he will opt for dialogue. Only genuine political
dialogue will solve the conflict that concerns the AFC/M23 rebellion.
But if
Kinshasa has, for decades, failed to listen to the plight of the citizens who
want peace, will it listen to the religious leaders?
