African Religious Leaders Seek Urgent Intervention to End Resource-Based Conflict in Congo

IFAPA President Noko Says Crisis Can Be Prevented

Representatives of a Pan-African grouping of faith leaders say the  mineral resource-based conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo  (DRC) could be prevented if signatories to peace agreements honored  their stated commitments.

Key leaders of the Inter-Faith Action for Peace in Africa (IFAPA)  also appealed to the continent’s religious leaders to urgently engage  political leadership in the DRC and neighboring countries to end a  crisis for which civilians continued to suffer the greatest atrocities.

“Are we not moved by the inhuman conditions of those [internally  displaced] mothers and children? Is it not correct to say that while  this war is raving, the mineral resources are being taken out of the  country for the benefit of others other than the citizens of the DRC?”  remarked IFAPA president and general secretary of the Lutheran World  Federation (LWF), Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, in his keynote address to the  third IFAPA Commission meeting, taking place, 10-13 November, in  Entebbe, near the Ugandan capital Kampala. Established in 2002, IFAPA  comprises representatives of Africa’s seven main faith traditions.

In the past few weeks, fighting has intensified between government  soldiers and rebels allied to dissident general Laurent Nkunda in the  mineral-rich eastern DRC region, especially North and South Kivu, with  relief agencies reporting massive displacement of civilians. Nearly  200,000 people, according to United Nations’ relief agency reports, are  receiving emergency assistance near the city of Goma, while an unknown  number is said to be cut off in the nearby forest.

Noko urged fellow religious leaders “to have the courage and take  leadership” in meeting with leaders of the parties in the DRC conflict  “for the sake of our children and their future.” He emphasized decisive  action was urgently needed “for unless we do so, war and conflict are  gradually becoming part of the DNA [intrinsic characteristic]” of  politics in Africa. “Will we allow that transformation to become  complete?” he asked the commission members.

“This is not a political problem. It is resource-based conflict on  who occupies vital points. Some people are looking for key geographical  area,” said IFAPA Commission member Rev. Gilbert Boissa, president of  the National Inter-Religious Forum in the DRC. He noted that peace  agreements, especially the December 2006 pact on security, stability and  development signed in Nairobi, Kenya, had been broken, giving groups  reasons to resume fighting.

According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the fighting in  eastern DRC has displaced an estimated one million people since 2006,  with various clashes pushing more than 300,000 Congolese to neighboring  countries, while the DRC itself hosts almost 300,000 refugees who have  fled war in neighboring countries.

“New groups are emerging in the district of Ituri. It also indicates  the presence of foreign armed groups who continue to compete with the  national army on several fronts, attacking defenseless civilians,” said  Boissa.

“Sexual abuse and forced recruitment of children into armed groups  are reported in areas of conflict. Rape continues to be used as weapon  of war. Many women are subjected to attack,” noted Boissa.

He said the DRC IFAPA network was working with other faith-based  organizations in advocating the protection of civilians, reuniting  families and lobbying for peace and the peaceful delivery of  humanitarian aid.

Boissa urged the IFAPA Commission to agree on a special committee to  look into the DRC issues, including the convening of a peace conference  to help the Great Lakes region heads of state to revisit the Nairobi  peace pact. He proposed the establishment of an interfaith observatory  mechanism which could monitor, control and audit the regional situation.

“It is in the implementation where the problem is. The pacts get blocked,” added the DRC religious leader.

The LWF is present in the Central African country through its member  church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Congo, and the Department for  World Service country program for Rwanda and DRC.

(By Nairobi-based LWI correspondent Fredrick Nzwili)