The Catholic Church is asked to intervene in the DR Congo and South Sudan conflicts
The Catholic Church in Kinshasa says the purpose of “the pastoral trip of Pope Francis to the Congo is to invite the Congolese men and women to intensify prayer to heal the wounds of all kinds in the manner of the Good Samaritan towards each other to face together the real perils of the country’s upheavals, the symptoms of which are visible today.” When he touches down in Kinshasa, the head of the Roman Catholic Church will be making his 40th trip abroad since he ascended to the papacy. But DRC, the 59th country in his itinerary, is just as unique as the 60th, South Sudan. He will stay in Kinshasa until February 3 when he departs for the Juba tour with Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.
His trip to the DR Congo is themed “All Reconciled in Jesus Christ” and he has spoken passionately about the importance of letting the Congolese decide their future, subtly lampooning foreign players for looting local resources while conflict rages. “The Democratic Republic of Congo … it’s like a fortress, a bastion of inspiration. You only have to look here in Rome at the Congolese community,” he told Mundo Negro Magazine, run by the Comboni Missionaries in Spain, earlier in January. “I have been looking forward to this trip, wishing it to be as soon as possible. South Sudan is a suffering community. (Even) Congo is suffering at this time due to armed conflict, which is why I am not going to Goma, since it is not possible due to the fighting. It’s not that I’m not going because I’m afraid, but with this (volatile) atmosphere and seeing what is happening… we have to take care of people.” Pope Francis’ initial trip to the two countries back in July 2022 was postponed due to a knee problem. Now, the timing could not have been better. The pontiff comes to the region amid high tensions between DRC and its neighbor Rwanda over security breaches and accusations of support for armed groups hostile to both governments. This week, Kinshasa declined a mediation offer by Qatar which is keen to have the two sides climb down and give peace a chance. Sources in Kinshasa said President Felix Tshisekedi withdrew from the Doha talks, in spite of earlier indicating willingness to the Qataris, after a former aide gave an interview saying Kinshasa had approached Kigali to end their feud and agree on business cooperation. The official, whom Kinshasa says has since been detained, had claimed DRC approached Rwanda to help reach out to investors in the mineral refining sector in exchange for rapprochement. But sources indicated the official’s claim had infuriated President Tshisekedi, who last year suspended business dealings with Rwanda in protest over Kigali’s alleged support of the M23 rebel group fighting the Congo army in the east. When this week’s talks fell through, Doha was reportedly furious. The Qataris have an obvious stake in harmony between Rwanda and DR Congo: They are investing in the aviation business in Rwanda, whose growth requires more routes to places such as Kinshasa and other Congolese cities.
By Berta Schroeder
