AFRICA/CONGO DR - “The people are tired of the war and restless for the presence of the foreign troops; they are not looking forward to a prolongation of their stay,” Congolese Bishops say

Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – The Bishops of the Democratic Republic of Congo have expressed their concern for the foreign military operations in the eastern part of the nation in a message sent to Agenzia Fides, published at the close of their meeting of the Permanent Committee of the Congolese Bishops' Conference (CENCO), held in Kinshasa February 9-12.
Critiquing the “slowness” of the formation of the Congolese National Army, which is having to use “foreign troops,” the Bishops said: “some people question the presence of these troops, as to their exact role, the nature and content of the agreements that have given them access to our territory, and as to how long they will remain in the DRC.”
For several weeks now, troops from Uganda and Rwanda have been working in the eastern regions of the DRC. Those from Uganda have been leading an joint offensive attack, along with Congolese and South Sudan forces, against Ugandan rebels of the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army), whose general headquarters is located in the Garamba Forest, in the Congolese region of the Equator (see Fides 15/12/2008). Those from Rwanda are working with the help and consensus of Congolese authorities, in an operation against the hutu Rwandan soldiers of the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda) whose base is located in the Congolese region of North Kivu (see Fides 21/1/2009). The local population is suffering the effects of these military operations, as a result of attacks on civilians committed both by the groups being attacked (for example, the LRA has killed over 900 people since Christmas – see Fides 30/1/2009), as well as for the violence committed by the military.
In Congo, there is a heated debate going on over the duration of the operations of the two foreign armies. The Congolese government has announced that the Ugandan and Rwandan armies should be leaving at the end of February, however the governments in Kampala and Kigali are placing pressures to postpone the retreat of their troops.
“The people are tired of the war and restless for the presence of the foreign troops; they are not looking forward to a prolongation of their stay,” the Bishops write, encouraging Parliament to “find a way to monitor the military operations underway, to assure that they contribute to an authentic peace that protects national sovereignty and the territorial integrity of the country.” In the message, the government remembers that “the reform of our army is an urgent priority,” because “the lack of a national army endangers the nation's peace.”
CENCO has asked the international community to cooperate with the Congolese authorities in resolving the problem of the FDLR, “who entered Congo upon their request” the Bishops recalled. The FDLR are descendants of the old hutu-Rwandan formation held responsible for the genocide of 1994, who took refuge in the then Zaire, under international protection. In addition, they call for a solution to the LRA problem, calling on the UN Mission in Congo (MONUC) to protect civilians.
“Firm in our prophetic mission to enlighten consciences, trusting in God who never lacks Providence with his children, we will continue offering our contribution to the process of pacification and the coexistence of our people, in truth, justice, and love. We invite Catholics to pray with trust and hope to the God of Peace,” the Bishops concluded. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 16/2/2009)