The Catholic bishops of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) held their 60th ordinary plenary assembly from June 4 to 22 in Lubumbashi, capital of the province of Haut-Katanga. During the congress, the Catholic prelates examined the socio-pastoral situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
During the assembly, the Catholic Bishops praised the efforts made by the Congolese government to bring peace throughout the country, as well as the bravery of the Armed Forces.
However, the Prelates expressed their deep concern over the persistence and worsening of insecurity, particularly in the eastern part of the country, and the multiplication of armed groups. The resurgence of the M23 supported by Rwanda in part of the national territory for more than a year, and the appearance of the Mobondo militia in the western part of the DRC are particularly sources of concern.
They also condemned the activism in urban areas of the “Brigade Spéciale de l’UDPS, Force du Progrès” (BSU), operating as a sustained militia which they said collaborated with the police in tracking down political opponents and other citizens taking a critical look at the current governance of the country.
The Catholic bishops also regretted that their recommendations had not been taken into account in terms of reconsidering the state of siege, reducing the lifestyle of the Institutions to give more resources to the Armed Forces, and strengthening the national cohesion.
Finally, the staging and instrumentalization of the Teke-Yaka conflict for political and economic interests, which is the result of a land dispute, is strongly denounced by the Catholic bishops. They underline that this situation could lead to an extension of the conflicts throughout the Congolese territory and thus deprive the country of the much desired peace.
This statement by the Catholic Bishops of CENCO highlights the challenges facing the Democratic Republic of Congo in consolidating peace and security throughout its territory.