DR Congo: Bishop calls for restraint and respect for human life as fighting rages in Goma
Goma, the capital of the province of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is in imminent danger of being taken over by the M23 rebels who have taken over the airport and parts of the city. As fighting reportedly continues within the city, the Church fears for the well-being of the innocent civilian population.
The Bishop of Goma, Willy Ngumbi Ngengele, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, has issued a warning about the drastic situation in the city, as fighting rages between rebels from the M23 group and government soldiers.
The bishop published a message on 27 January which was sent to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), in which he states that the Church is following developments “with dismay” and notes that the civilian population is already suffering, pointing out incidents such as the bombing of the General Charity Maternity Hospital, causing the death of newborn infants.
The bishop’s words come as the rebel movement M23 has announced the conquest of Goma, the capital of the province of North Kivu, but fighting is still reported within the city itself.
In his statement, Bishop Ngumbi Ngengele calls for “absolute respect by all parties, and in all circumstances, for human life and for private and public infrastructure in accordance with human dignity and international law”, and stresses in particular the need to ensure access to basic services for the population, and to avoid the scourge of sexual violence that so often accompanies armed conflict.
Speaking of a “grave hour” for the population of Goma, the bishop assures all those affected by the violence of the Church’s concern, and calls on the clergy, and all the faithful and people of good will, to help those in need as best they can.
“Constant attacks”
The drastic situation was also confirmed by the Portuguese priest, Fr Marcelo Oliveira, who has been in the Democratic Republic of Congo for many years and after Christmas had already informed ACN about the difficult situation they were facing. In a new message to ACN, the Comboni missionary spoke of “constant attacks” in the region and that the M23 rebels were making a push for Goma, but that Government troops had been sent en masse to try and stop the takeover.
Fr Marcelo Oliveira said that the humanitarian situation is severe and will tend to worsen as the civilian population tries to flee the fighting: “there are currently over 2.5 million internally displaced because of the war around Goma.”
North Kivu has been ravaged by conflicts for years, but if Goma falls to rebel forces it could open up a new stage in the fighting. According to Fr Marcelo, the rebels hope to force the Government to negotiate, but there is also a risk that the situation could lead to outright war between the DRC and Rwanda. According to media, on 19 January, Félix Tshisekedi, the Congolese President, rejected any direct negotiations with the M23, who he claimed was acting on behalf of Rwanda.
“Let us hope, with Christian hope, that we might see clear and concrete actions for peace to once again return to this battered and besieged country”, Fr Marcelo Oliveira concludes.
Speaking in the context of a country with more than 7 million internally displaced persons, Mgr Francois Xavier Maroy, the Archbishop of Bukavu, published a “message of comfort” on 22 January which was received by ACN. He lamented that “for two years, many of our brothers and sisters have had nothing other than their eyes to weep and their feet to flee, sometimes without a destination, and even the camps for the displaced are not secure, several villages are saturated, and others emptied of their populations”.
He urged Christians “not to lose heart” in the face of the threatening situation, and reminded them that in this Jubilee Year, Christians are called to be “witnesses of hope”. In the face of violence, jealousy and lies, Christians must not allow themselves to be contaminated by “the spirit of evil”.
The archbishop also insisted on the fact that “no political position or economic benefit can be negotiated over the dead bodies of one’s own compatriots,” and added: “Let us pray to the Lord and ask Him that all the communities in conflict in our Great Lakes Region will find a way to live in peace without distinction of tribe, ethnicity or race.”
Maxime François-Marsal, ACN’s project manager for the French-speaking countries in Central Africa emphasizes the need for solidarity from the Church and the importance of prayers for the country, which remains one of the charity’s top priorities: “Let us pray for the return of peace in Goma and for all the victims of the war. Let us especially pray for the political leaders of Congo, Rwanda, and neighbouring countries, that they may seek a peaceful and swift resolution to the conflict. May they work in the interest of the people and be sensitive to the suffering of those who have unjustly lost everything.”
