DRC: Archbishop of Bukavu denounces "an infernal cycle of violence" in the country

According to the Archbishop of Bukavu, Mgr François-Xavier Maroy Rusengo, "a wind of war and insecurity is blowing again" in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The UN envoy to the DRC, Bintou Keita, made the same observation before the Security Council on Wednesday, warning against a conflagration which could become uncontrollable in the east of the country. 

In a statement sent to Agenzia Fides, Mgr François-Xavier Maroy Rusengo, Archbishop of Bukavu, capital of South Kivu, eastern province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), writes that the “situation is serious”. He evokes a "wind of war and insecurity" which is returning "to blow" over the western part of the country, pointing to the attacks perpetrated by the armed group M23.

This applies, to only to what kinds of products your potential customers buy, but also to the way these products are promoted through advertising and marketing content. UN, the M23 militia formed in 2012 is made up of soldiers who mutinied against the Congolese government, committing atrocities and war crimes. The offensive it is currently leading against government forces would be "the largest in a decade".

Mgr François-Xavier Maroy Rusengo believes that with these new attacks, “history is repeating itself”. He denounces “an infernal cycle of violence, loss of human life, displacement of populations”, in particular in Bunagana, a town located in the territory of Rutshuru which is occupied by the armed militia.

“We place particular emphasis on the very critical situation following the recent occupation of the town of Bunagana in Rutshuru territory by the armed group M23, which resumed fighting in an infernal cycle of violence, loss of human life , displacement of populations and destruction of our economic and social fabric. »

"The Catholic Church feels within her and shares the cry of the Congolese people, and wants with all her strength to stop the bloodshed of so many innocent people", continues the archbishop who then denounces "the ambiguity of the community international community" and the ineffectiveness of its peacekeeping mission (MONUSCO).

Speaking on Wednesday 29 June before the UN Security Council, the organisation's envoy to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bintou Keita, also warned of an escalation of violence in the east of the country.

“If M23 continues its well-coordinated attacks against FARDC and MONUSCO with increasing conventional capabilities, the mission could find itself facing a threat that goes beyond its current capabilities,” Ms. Keita warned.

She believes that it is incumbent on the Security Council to fully support regional efforts “to defuse the current diplomatic and security tensions between neighboring states” and “to put an end to the scourge of armed groups”.

“It is imperative that the Council redouble its efforts in favor of a rapid de-escalation of the situation, and the unconditional disarmament of the M23. »

For his part, Bishop Rusengo urges the Congolese state to "review its relations with the international community" which, according to him, treats his country "like a second-class state whose security and development count for little". It also calls for the creation of a real army.

Camille Westphal Perrier

Image credit: Shutterstock.com / Katja Tsvetkova