Bishops call for peace amid fears of political violence in DR Congo

Father Léonard Santedi

Bishops from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have appealed for peace and democracy, amid fears that political violence could escalate with the postponement of elections.

"Blocking the electoral process creates a worrying situation which risks plunging the country into chaos," said Father Léonard Santedi, Secretary General of the Catholic Bishops Conference in the DRC.

Speaking ahead of a visit to the United Kingdom this week, Father Santedi said: "The country is facing a deteriorating socio-economic and security situation, particularly in areas like eastern DRC. At this important moment, we urge political leaders to take action to ensure that violence and bloodshed are averted."

Elections are due in November 2016, and opposition are pushing for this timeframe; however, there are claims that the incumbent President Joseph Kabila is attempting to change the constitution to allow him to stand for a third term, which is likely to delay the elections.

"We call on the international community to support the DRC in finding a lasting solution to the political situation, to back democratic electoral process, and support investigations into the recent massacres of communities in Beni and in the North Kivu region."

"It is imperative that we respect the constitution, particularly regarding the number and duration of mandates of the president of the Republic" added Father Santedi.

Fergus Conmee, Head of Africa Programmes at Catholic aid agency CAFOD, said: "The situation in the DRC is extremely precarious and the risk of political violence is extremely high. We support the Bishops' urgent call for peace and democracy at this time."

The Church in the DRC is working to bring all parties to the table to find a peaceful way forward. They are an important and trusted voice on governance in the DRC, and provided the overwhelming majority of election observers in 2011 - more than 30,000.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a vast country with immense mineral wealth and natural resources, yet it has one of the highest poverty rates in the world. More than a decade of devastating civil war has killed almost four million people, and as many as half a million women and girls have been victims of extreme sexual violence carried out by armed groups.

Father Léonard Santedi is a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He has spent ten years as Secretary General of the Catholic Bishops Conference in Democratic Republic of Congo (CENCO) and is a spokesperson for bishops of the DRC. In this capacity, Father Santedi has been moderating negotiations between the Catholic Church, Electoral Commission, the opposition and the President's political party in the DRC ahead of the elections.

The electoral process in the DRC has been delayed and presidential and legislative elections planned for November 2016 have yet to be confirmed. President Kabila has called for a national political dialogue that is ongoing and will discuss the five following outlined priorities: (i) credible and inclusive voters' list, (ii) review of the electoral calendar, (iii) security of the electoral process, (iv) financing of the elections and (v) the role of international partners. The objective of the dialogue is to reach a consensus on various questions in order to lay down a new foundation for forthcoming elections.

Source: CAFOD