“The moment is serious, our country is attacked, it faces Rwandan aggression and occupation. »» In front of the hundreds of people gathered on the esplanade of the National Assembly of the capital Kinshasa on Monday, February 3, Ejiba Yamapia gives voice to explain the context of the interreligious rally he summoned.
« The hour is critical, we are a believing nation with the help of God we pray, we will defeatstill assured this representative of the Pentecostal churches of the rescuers (EPS0) in the country, also president of the Platform of Religious Confessions in DR-Congo. Recognizing the creator’s omnipotence, (…) Let us transform our concerns into a subject of prayer. »»
This interreligious moment followed a request from the Congolese Minister of Justice Constant Mutamba. While the fighting intensified in the east of the DR-Congo for the control of Goma, the capital of North Kivu, the latter had requested religious denominations to make their contribution by the organization of A day of prayer “against Rwandan assault” and for the restoration of peace in the eastern part of the country.
Following the taking of Goma, now controlled by the forces of the M23 and their allies, and after the demonstrations of anger of the population in Kinshasa, the religious leaders decided during an emergency meeting to hold this rally earlier possible. “” In wartime, we put aside our differences to come together as a people in the face of attempts to divide our country “Said the president of the platform, while encouraging donations in money and in kind to support the Congolese army.
Go beyond “Simple convictions”
The managers of the awakening churches – evangelical – seized the opportunity of this gathering to denounce “Aggressions against the DR-Congo” in a declaration read during the rally. “” We also want to launch a strong message to the face of the world to put an end to the east of the DR-Congo, to obtain the departure of the occupants and attackers, the refusal of the illegal exploitation of our natural resources and obtain a real independence “Said these churches in their declaration, before ensuring “Their total support” to the armed forces of the DR-Congo, the Wazalendo (self-defense group) and to the head of state Félix Tshisekedi. Representatives of the Muslim worship present were also signatory to the declaration.
The members of the platform also asked the international community to go beyond “Simple convictions” to impose “Clear and targeted sanctions” Against the M23 and its Rwandan allies. “” If within 72 hours of which follow we do not feel concrete actions, we will be forced to continue to demonstrate peacefully, in particular by sit-in (sitting occupations, editor’s note) in order to obtain the closure of the chancelleries suspected of being behind Rwanda and M23 “Warned these representatives of the various confessions.
CENCO and ECC offer a crisis exit plan
Absent from the rally, the officials The National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) and the Church of Christ in the Congo (ECC, Union of Protestant Churches) were received the same day by President Félix Tshisekedi, to their request. “The two churches took the initiative to design a project to leave the crisis that we presented today to the Head of State”said Bishop Donatien Nshole, secretary general of Cenco, after this interview who focused on ” The need to strengthen national cohesion in our country, a need that has become more pressing ”.
If the content of the project has not been revealed to the press, the representatives of these churches – given by Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, archbishop of Kinshasa – say they were encouraged in their approach by the Head of State. These churches had launched, in mid-January, a call “In favor of the Social Pact for Peace and Living well in DR-Congo and in the Great Lakes”.
Still Monday, February 3, Cenco reiterated this call, in a message of solidarity to the populations of the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu, experienced by the war situation which has worsened since January 26. “The situation is so serious and the great emotion that they have forced us to take a time of meditation, in silence, to better understand the contours and discern the future prospects”, Explains the Catholic episcopate in its message, as if to respond to the increasingly lively criticism of it as to its reaction time on the crisis.
(tagstotranslate) Democratic Republic of Congo