The Tragic Situation in the Congo

Over the past few months, the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been deteriorating. Finally newspapers in the United States have begun reporting on these tragic events. Father Richard Mis, SCJ, a General Councilor of the Priests of the Sacred Heart and Father Virginio Bressanelli, SCJ, our Superior General, recently made the following appeal:

From official sources and our own SCJ confreres we have learned that battles in the Congolese province of Ituri have begun again in the zones near Mambasa. On November 27, 2002, troops of R. Lumbala recaptured Bafwasende and Mambasa. To date, the forces of R. Lumbala and J.P. Bemba control a large part of the inhabited centers of Ituri.

The constant movement of troops is a source of unending suffering and loss of hope for the civilian population. After having lost everything, the people are in flight. The city of Mambasa is abandoned. It is believed that the road from Mambasa to Beni holds about 17,000 people, including Fr. Nereo Broccardo, SCJ, and Br. Sergio, SCJ. Fr. Silvano Ruaro, SCJ is looking for food assistance from Kampala.

[In a separate report, Father Dino Ruaro, SCJ, one of the eye witnesses, wrote the following.

 What Bemba's soldiers did is beyond imagination. In 33 years in Africa I have never seen anything like this. The city of Mambasa was plundered. Everyone lost everything. The soldiers who had previously occupied the city were supposed to leave without fighting and were ordered not to take anything. Nine of Bemba's soldiers entered the mission. Firing mortars, grenades, guns and machine guns, they stole and destroyed everything in an eight hour rampage, which lasted from nine in the morning until five in the afternoon. At one point these bandits, half naked and drugged out of their heads began to blather about the cows which were between me and them. I was very afraid. They killed nine cows leaving them in agony for hours and they didn't even bother to take the meat. ]

There are no truly usable roads and the only way to provide assistance is by air. We do not know how and what our Fathers will be able to organize but we support their efforts on behalf of an innocent people.

Political Bases for the Carnage

To understand why the warfare in this area is unending, we should remember that what comes into play is the fact that these regions have immense natural resources - coal, diamond and gold deposits. The corrosion of power in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (RDC) has opened up the way for territorial conquest, an indiscriminate abuse by neighboring countries of natural resources, and the oppression of the people with impunity.

The Conference of Pretoria, which recommenced its deliberations on November 15, 2002, for a peace treaty for the RDC is working on a proposal for a transitional government that within two years must organize democratic elections. What they are proposing is the  1 + 4  solution which means placing a group of four vice-presidents around the actual president, Joseph Kabila. The commander of the military forces at Ituri, Roger Lumbala, is afraid he will not be one of the four and has therefore declared:  We absolutely do not recognize Kabila as president of a transitional government and categorically reject the  1 + 4  model.  In the light of such declarations, hope for peace remains rather dark.

Appeal

Since nothing has been done to avoid war, we now are asking European governments, the United Nations, and other international organizations to (1) quickly intervene so that the refugees can return to Mambasa without incurring the risk of repression; (2) have representatives of the UN, Red Cross, and other organizations present to guarantee the return of normal activities of the people and schools; (3) set up mediation between the military factions in combat to prevent repetition of combat; and (4) promote respect for the peace accords already signed and to set in motion the process of democratization.

We commend the Congolese people, all missionaries and volunteers who work for the welfare of the weakest of people to the care of the Merciful Heart of Jesus and to Mary, Mother of all who are oppressed.