U.S. Catholic Bishops Hope DR Congo–Rwanda Peace Agreement Marks “tangible step” Towards Resolving Regional Conflict

In their July 17 message addressed to Bishop José Moko Ekanga of DRC’s Catholic Diocese of Idiofa, the Bishops in the U.S. recognize the critical place of “inclusive dialogue” in conflict resolution.

They also highlight the importance of caring for those “wounded and traumatized by war” and respecting the “role of the people as artisans of peace and stewards of the land’s natural resources” as paths to lasting peace.

In February, a religious Missionary from the Eastern region of DRC described the security situation in Goma, the capital of North Province as “extremely worrying.”

Br. Adolphe Mulengezi Mihingo a member of the Institute of the Consolata Missionaries (IMC) attributed the long-running conflict to foreign interference and resource exploitation.

“The crisis in eastern DRC is the result a complex combination of historical, economic, political and geopolitical factors. Eastern DRC is rich in natural resources including gold, coltan, cobalt, diamonds and other strategic minerals used in the global technology industry,” said Br. Mulengezi, a native of Goma, in a February 6 interview with ACI Africa.

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Members of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) have called for national unity and reconciliation through the implementation of a Social Pact for Peace and Harmonious Coexistence.

The Social Pact for Peace and Harmonious Coexistence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes is an initiative of members of CENCO, in collaboration with their counterparts in the Church of Christ in Congo  (ECC).

In their May 17 following their 62nd Plenary Assembly in Kinshasa, Catholic Bishops in DRC explained that in the pact, 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.

They lamented, “War and inter-community conflicts that have been raging for several years, regularly plunging the DRC into mourning and bloodshed in the Great Lakes region, are spreading and seriously threatening the country's territorial integrity and national unity.”

The governments of DRC and Rwanda on June 27 signed a peace agreement committing to “ensure respect for territorial integrity and the promotion of peaceful relations” between the two nations and support “the ongoing negotiations between the DRC and the AFC/M23 under the mediation of the State of Qatar in Doha among other binding provisions.”

In their July 17, message to ACEAC, that Bishop Abdallah Elias Zaidan of the Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon (Maronite) and the Chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace signed, the USCCB members underscore the need for an “authentically human” diplomacy.

“Room needs to be made for diplomacy that is authentically human — a diplomacy where peoples care for other peoples, a diplomacy centered not on control over land and resources, expansionism, and increased profits, but rather on providing opportunities for people to grow and develop,” they say, alluding to the late Pope Francis’s prophetic exhortation during his Apostolic Journey to the DRC in 2023.

They acknowledge with appreciation the “witness” of the bishops of ACEAC and of the people of God in Burundi, the DRC, and Rwanda for their determination to “live out evangelical mission as peacebuilders” amid “entrenched divisions.”

“The Catholic faithful in the U.S. appreciate the opportunity to fraternally accompany you through the charitable and humanitarian work of Catholic Relief Services in your countries,” the American Bishops say.

They went on to offer their spiritual solidarity with the ACEAC members in their “aspirations for reconciliation, justice, and peace in the sub-region be realized in abundance.”

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“We join in the prayer of Pope Leo XIV, following the beatification of Goma native and “man of peace” Floribert Bwana Chui bin Kositi on June 15th: ‘May the long-awaited peace in Kivu, in Congo, and across all of Africa come soon — through the intercession of the Virgin Mary and Blessed Floribert,’” they say. 

Nicholas Waigwa is a Kenyan multimedia journalist and broadcast technician with a professional background in creating engaging news stories and broadcasting content across multiple media platforms. He is passionate about the media apostolate and Catholic Church communication.