Churches continue efforts to restore peace in war-torn DRC

By Lisa Zengarini

Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to restore peace and Rwandan and Congolese Presidents’ commitment for a ceasefire earlier this week, fighting continues in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where on March 19, the tutsi-led M23 movement seized the strategic town of Walikale. Walikale, North Kivu, is the farthest west town the allegedly Rwandan-backed rebels have reached in their swift advance since January that has already overrun Goma and Bukavu, eastern Congo's two largest cities.

Presidents' Tshisekedi  and Kagame meeting in Doha 

This development came the day after a surprise meeting between Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame in Doha, Qatar, where they called on all parties for an immediate ceasefire and agreed that “the talks initiated in Doha must continue in order to lay solid foundations for a lasting peace” as envisaged by the Nairobi and Luanda peace processes initiated in 2022

However, these diplomatic efforts have yet to translate into peace on the ground. DRC and M23 movement, the leading member of the rebel coalition of Congo River Alliance (AFC) had been expected to have their first direct talks on the same day in Angola after Tshisekedi's government reversed its longstanding refusal to speak to the rebels.

M23's territorial advances

But M23 pulled out on Monday, 17 March, blaming European Union sanctions on some of its leaders and Rwandan officials.

AFC’s leader Corneille Nangaa also dismissed the appeal from Doha, and insisted his forces were not fighting at Rwanda's behest, while reaffirming his demand for direct talks with Kinshasa, saying it was the only way to resolve the conflict. M23 has called for an end to what it says is the persecution of Tutsis in Congo and improvements to national governance.

Meanwhile, the rebel group continues to expand its control, taking administrative steps to consolidate power over occupied areas. Some local militias, particularly in South Kivu, have resisted M23 advances, but in North Kivu, certain factions have even aligned with the rebels, further complicating the situation.

The Churches' efforts to restore peace supported by President Macron

Amidst the ongoing violence, a joint delegation of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Congo (CENCO) and the Church of Christ in Congo (ECC) is holding high-level meetings  to involve all parties in their “Social Pact for Peace and Coexistence in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Great Lakes Region” launched in January.  The peace roadmap first aims for internal reconciliation and then for regional peace and has already led to meetings with Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and with M23 rebels.  The Churches aim to bring the voice of Congolese civil society to the international community, and in particular United Nations Security Council. On March 19, the delegation was received by French President Emmanuel Macron, who expressed his full support to the Churches’ peace road map.  

Major humanitarian crisis

However, on the ground, the humanitarian crisis continues to deepen. Cities like Goma and Bukavu are gripped by fear, with civilians subjected to violence from both rebels and criminal elements. Law enforcement and government forces have either fled or been overpowered, leaving residents vulnerable to looting, extortion, and summary executions. The displacement crisis is worsening, with thousands killed and many more forced to flee their homes. Hunger is rampant, and aid efforts remain insufficient due to logistical and security constraints.

Aside from a major humanitarian crisis and mass displacement, the ongoing fighting and  insecurity have caused the closure of schools and brought the local economy to a standstill.

The root causes of the conflict

The current conflict is eastern Congo's  worst since a 1998-2003 war that drew in multiple neighbouring countries and resulted in millions of deaths. With troops from DRC, Rwanda and Burundi having all participated in fighting this year, it risks evolving into a wider regional war again

As recalled again by participants at a conference hosted on 20 March by the Pontifical University Antonianum and entitled "Rethinking Peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo," the conflict is rooted in the fallout from Rwanda's 1994 genocide and competition for mineral riches, including cobalt,  gold, diamonds, and metallic mineral resources, with multinational corporations taking  advantage of the state's weakness for their own ends.

(Source: Fides and other agencies)