Social Pact for Peace, Harmonious Coexistence “best solution” to DR Congo’s Crises: Catholic Official

In the pact, the church leaders in DRC seek to mobilize the various stakeholders in the Central African nation to chart a path out of the country’s protracted instability.

Following their 62nd Plenary Assembly in Kinshasa, Catholic Bishops in the DRC appealed for the implementation  of the Social Pact for Peace and Harmonious Coexistence, saying it would guarantee national unity and reconciliation.

In the June 10 press conference, Fr. Rukwata noted that CENCO members’ call to President Felix Tshisekedi and other stakeholders in the crisis to facilitate the implementation of the pact was a historic opportunity for them to facilitate national reconciliation.

“We know that everyone has a common goal: to serve the Republic. If you remember the recommendation the Bishops made in their last message in May to the Head of State, they told him this: trust your spiritual fathers by facilitating the implementation of this initiative. History will remember that it was under your leadership that the Congolese reached a consensus on better governance of the country,” he said referring to CENCO members’ appeal to President Tshisekedi in their May 17 message.

Fr. Rukwata noted that “it was a way to invite him and ask him to make it possible. I hope he understood the message.”

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“The Bishops’ initiative for the Social Pact for Peace and Harmonious Coexistence is a citizen-based republican approach. It is not a partisan or political initiative,” he said.

The Congolese Catholic Priest further said, “That is why politicians must leave their narrow frameworks and join the Republic—putting the interest of the nation above the interest of political parties.”

The Congolese CDJP official said the former President Joseph Kabila’s recent media statements advocating for an “inclusive and taboo-free dialogue” among all Congolese aligns closely with similar calls from opposition leader Martin Fayulu, who recently supported the CENCO-ECC initiative for peace.

Fr.  Rukwata hailed the June 4 meeting between Mr. Fayulu and President Tshisekedi as a symbol of leadership and statesmanship, describing it as “a step in the right direction.”

“The two weren’t speaking to each other, but now they’ve met. And wherever people meet to dialogue with the goal of reconciliation... it can only be encouraged by the Church,” the CDJP Director in Butembo-Beni Diocese said.

He added, “This aligns perfectly with the goal and vision of the social pact. It is not biased or partisan; it aims solely at contributing to lasting peace.”

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.