Hope and suffering: the cry of a people in distress in eastern Congo
March 4, 2009
(Editor's note: In this article a Congolese Mennonite pastor and peace activist describes what God’s people, including Mennonite families, in the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu are experiencing. He challenges the Mennonite church of Congo, of Africa and of the world to support these people, created in God’s image, who are suffering greatly.)
Hope and suffering: the cry of a people in distress in eastern Congo
“Then the Lord said, ‘I have observed the misery of my people.... I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their suffering” (Exodus 3:7).
Socio-political context of the region
Since the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, the provinces of North and South Kivu with their capital cities of Goma and Bukavu have known intense armed conflict. At the present there are numerous irregular groups fighting each other over the abundant mineral wealth in this part of the earth. Renowned previously as fertile agricultural lands producing beans, potatoes, meat, etc., the two provinces have become theaters of military operations with huge negative consequences: hunger; massive displacement of the inhabitants toward the mountains; enlistment of child soldiers; abandonment of vulnerable groups such as widows and orphans; and increased unemployment.
In this region there is not only coltan and gold, but men, women and children who need to find human dignity, and also Rwandan and Congolese politicians and leaders of armed rebel groups, all created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26). But in this part of the world, much of humanity in the image of God lives in an unacceptable state of misery and poverty.
Among the armed groups in this region are the FDLR (Interahamwe of Rwandan origin), the CNDP of Laurent Nkunda, the Mai-Mai, the Rwandan army, the Congolese army (government forces), and the MONUC (UN) forces. If the Congolese army, supported by the MONUC, attempts to maintain the integrity and sovereignty of the state, the other forces bring misery to the peaceful citizens through extortion and looting. The current bilateral military cooperation between the Rwandan and Congolese armed forces is meant to stop the FDLR, but the arrest of the deposed general Laurent Nkunda raises a lot of questions in the minds of the Congolese people. Is peace in the east a reality or a utopian idea?
Hope
There would be reason to ask whether it is possible for human beings to continue living in this region from which only news of new atrocities comes. Nevertheless the Bible declares that God’s “mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22). Local and international non-governmental organizations and churches are attempting to reestablish a peaceful coexistence between people and to assure genuine development. This has already created a degree of liberty of movement in the large cities such as Goma and Bukavu.
The Mennonite churches in the west established a mission field in south Kivu. A young peace church with more than 500 members has been planted there. Many families from western Congo live in this region for reasons of work and evangelistic outreach. Today, because of the cost of transport and security, Mennonites from the west are cut off from those of the east, and thus the evangelization of the church in eastern Congo is weakened. Mennonites in the east need spiritual, moral, material and financial support from other Mennonites.
Role of the church
In the face of these difficulties and suffering, the church has a message to give: The Mennonite church needs to be present and to effect concrete humanitarian and peace building actions in eastern Congo. It should raise its voice to reject all forms of violence that are perpetuated in the region. This work should be done by peace builders from the east and west alike, by church leaders and by international Mennonite teams. Actions to be taken are prayer, lobbying, trauma healing and rehabilitation and humanitarian assistance.
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36).
Men, women and children in eastern Congo are suffering, yet they have hope. What will we do, we who live in freedom, with our faith, the Bible in hand, a full purse and the power to speak to political authorities in Congo, Rwanda, as well as countries such as Great Britain, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Canada and the US? If we do nothing, we contribute to the problem.
The challenge
The cry of a people in distress is heard in Goma and in Bukavu, areas that are rich in minerals and other resources. A little paradise was created there by God. The Mennonite church, an historic peace church, has recently been planted there. In Congo where a young democracy is in the process of developing, a lasting peace is needed to have real development and reconstruction. Let us join the efforts of Congolese and other brothers and sisters of the Mennonite world in giving themselves, body and soul, to establish peace in eastern Congo.
-Pastor Mukambu Ya’Namuisai
Council for Peace and Reconciliation in Congo
Senior pastor, Mennonite Church of Congo
Translation by Timothy Lind
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Mennonite World Conference News Release
Mennonite World Conference is a communion (Koinonia) of Anabaptist-related churches linked to one another in a worldwide community of faith for fellowship, worship, service, and witness.
