Congo conflict terrorizes civilians and the Church
One year ago, ChristianWeek reported on the tremendous pain and suffering inflicted upon the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by ruthless combatants engaged in a seemingly endless war. As the intensity of the fighting diminished and the refugee crisis eased in the months that followed, the French-speaking central African nation faded from the headlines.
But renewed fighting in eastern Congo has forced an estimated 15,000 people to flee their villages over the past several months, reports the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. And despite deploying over 20,000 troops and staff to the predominantly Christian country, the United Nations mission in the DRC, known by its French acronym MONUC, is not adequately protecting the Congolese.
Reign of Terror
The situation in the eastern part of the DRC is grim, says Michelle Hough, a representative of Caritas Internationalis, the international development arm of the Roman Catholic Church and one of the largest NGOs in the world. "In the east, rebels rape, kill and terrorize communities in a conflict that started to escalate in August 2008." The violence is largely driven by the struggle to control "the mineral wealth that can be found in that part of the country."
Last year, the UN secretary-general appointed a panel of independent experts to study the situation in the DRC. The Group of Experts submitted their final report in December of 2009, noting that illegal mining operations and arms smuggling continue to finance rebel militia groups.
Some rebel militias have been effectively neutralized by military action and/or ceasefire agreements. However, the powerful Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, known as the FDLR, remains a major threat.
During a briefing before the UN Security Council in December 2009, Alan Doss, special representative of the secretary-general in the DRC, stated that "overall displacement [of civilians] remained high and sexual violence continued unchecked" throughout 2009 in North and South Kivu provinces. He alleged that rebel groups and uncontrolled elements of the National Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo were responsible for most of the gross human rights violations.
Silent Genocide
A "silent genocide" is unfolding in the DRC today, Hough says. "The level of suffering is massive."
According to a recent report from the UNHCR, there are an estimated total of 2.1 million internally displaced persons in eastern DRC.
Caritas is doing what it can to ease the suffering in Congo: providing shelter, food blankets, clothing and other necessities to internally displaced persons. But there are limits to what the non-governmental organization can accomplish.
The ongoing violence in North Kivu "means that aid agencies sometimes have difficulties in reaching people [in need]," Hough explains.
She is adamant that the protection of the civilian population "must become a priority for the Congolese government and the international community."
Attacks on the Church
The Roman Catholic Church has become the target of attacks by combatants in eastern Congo. According to Aid to the Church in Need, a Catholic charity that serves persecuted churches and Christians around the globe, Daniel Cizimya Nakagama of the Archdiocese of Bukavu was shot dead by three attackers in his presbytery at Kabare on December 6, 2009.
The next day, the Monastery of Our Lady of Light at Muresa was attacked by gunmen. Sister Densie Kahambu, a Trappistine nun, was shot to death. According to an online news report, a group of armed men launched another assault on the monastery less than a week later, but were driven off by police.
ACN also reports that other Roman Catholic institutions were attacked in October, demonstrating that the church has become "a priority target for rebels, militias and even military personnel."
The Church has become "a troubling witness" to gross human rights abuses, making it a target for the perpetrators, Mario Bard, a spokesman for ACN Canada, told ChristianWeek.
In response to the attacks, MONUC has placed major churches in South Kivu province under guard.
Despite its many failures, MONUC has done some good work in Congo, helping to stabilize several regions.
However, the mission's days seem to be numbered. Rather than renewing MONUC'S mandate for 12 months, as it had done in the past, the Security Council voted at the end of 2009 to extend the mission for only five months. That means that UN peacekeepers could be completely withdrawn from Congo by the end of May. If that happens, expect Congo to again make headlines as the conflict escalates and the body count rises.
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