Church representatives from DR Congo meet with M23 leaders in Goma

In an effort to promote dialogue to put an end to the fighting in the east of the country, a team from Congolese Catholic and Protestant churches traveled to Goma, the capital of DR Congo’s North Kivu Province, to meet with leaders of the AFC/M23 rebel movement on Wednesday, February 12.

After seizing Goma on January 27, the rebels promptly restored electricity and water, reopened shops and schools, and otherwise restored order. The rebels issued a warning on February 10 that they would move into Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, claiming that continuous attacks on civilians by the Congolese army and its supporters might compel them to step in. South Kivu’s security situation has gotten worse due to claims of abuses, brutality, and theft by the Congolese army coalition, which includes Wazalendo militia and Burundian troops, among others.

Along with AFC/M23 coordinator Corneille Nangaa and other top rebel officials, the gathering at the Goma Serena Hotel included delegates from the Church of Christ in Congo (ECC), a union of Protestant denominations, and the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO).

Reports state that the delegation entered the nation via the Grande Barrière, also called La Corniche One Stop Border Post, in Rubavu District. CENCO and ECC have continuously pushed for talks with AFC/M23 rebels, claiming that all parties involved must be included in order to end the crisis peacefully.

In a press conference in Kinshasa on February 5, the two churches reaffirmed their belief that political leaders from the government, the opposition, civil society, and the rebels—who resurfaced in late 2021 primarily because of unresolved grievances and particularly the rights of the Congolese Kinyarwanda-speaking community in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo—should be involved in the dialogue.

“We are not here to declare one side to be good and the other evil,” stated Pastor Éric Nsenga, secretary-general of the ECC.

“I don’t see how we can discuss peace while opposing any means that might bring it about.”

It would be unrealistic to exclude AFC/M23 from negotiations, Nsenga emphasized.
“To believe that peace can be reached without including all parties involved would be ridiculous. It is our role to transform disputes into chances for growth.

Tuesday, February 11, in Kinshasa, the church leaders also had a meeting with Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi. They might finally persuade him to embrace the discussion route, but it’s unclear.

The Catholic and Protestant bishops’ idea was denounced in a news release following the meeting by Tshisekedi’s ruling party, UDPS. AFC/M23 rebels can be included in the EAC-led Nairobi process like other Congolese armed groups, according to the party’s declaration signed by its interim president, Augustin Kabuya. However, direct talks between Kinshasa and the rebellion, which the former claims is backed by Rwanda, are not possible. This seems to be a softening of the party’s stance.

The party also denounced the behavior of some religious figures, whom it claimed were taking a hostile stance toward Congolese official institutions.