As battle continues to rage within the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Protestant and Catholic leaders are united of their prayers that peace and humanity will return to the troubled nation.
Insurgent group M23 just lately claimed to have taken the japanese metropolis of Goma. The militants are allegedly backed by neighbouring Rwanda and there have additionally been experiences that Rwandan armed forces have entered the DRC.
The DRC claims that Rwanda has its eyes on a few of its mineral wealthy japanese territories, whereas Rwanda accuses the DRC of backing militants in its territory and of harbouring key figures behind the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Churchmen on the bottom have painted a bleak image of the toll the battle is taking over the bottom. The Catholic Bishop of Goma, Willy Ngumbi Ngengele, claimed that a number of new child infants had died following the bombing of Goma’s Basic Charity Maternity Hospital.
The Anglican Bishop of Goma and a Church Mission Society associate, Martin Gordon, gave his personal evaluation of the state of affairs: “On Friday, the primary energy line to Goma was hit by the M23, leaving a lot of the town with out energy. Giant areas are additionally with out water. Communications are unreliable, and meals costs have doubled. On Sunday morning, we acquired experiences that the Rwandan military crossed the border into Goma, violating Congolese territorial sovereignty. Preventing for management of the town continues.
“There was a jail break and widespread looting. Many residents are cowering in concern, unable to speak with family members. Eyewitnesses report our bodies within the streets, whereas NGOs and hospitals have been focused. Experiences of sexual violence add one other layer of trauma for a inhabitants that has already suffered an excessive amount of. The complete scale of the destruction will take days to emerge.”
Bishop Gordon pointed to Jesus Christ as the one hope the nation has for peace, “The place we all the time begin is peace with God by way of Jesus Christ. Earlier than we are able to make peace, we should first discover peace ourselves.”
Each bishops have urged folks to hope for the leaders of the DRC and Rwanda to discover a peaceable answer to the disaster, and for the totally different tribes and communities to search out it inside themselves to reside at peace with one another.
Tens of millions of individuals have been displaced throughout the DRC because of the ongoing battle.
Catholic Archbishop Francois Xavier Maroy lamented the destiny the folks in feedback to Support to the Church in Want: “For 2 years, lots of our brothers and sisters have had nothing apart from their eyes to weep and their ft to flee, typically with out a vacation spot – and even the camps for the displaced are usually not safe.”
