KEY POINTS
- Congo’s Catholic Church met with rebel leader Corneille Nangaa for mediation.
- M23 rebels continue their advance, raising fears of a wider conflict.
- Thousands of displaced civilians are fleeing worsening conditions in eastern Congo.
On Wednesday, representatives of Congo’s powerful Catholic Church met with a rebel leader whose M23 forces, supported by Rwanda, took control of Goma, the country’s main city in the east, last month and have since moved southward.
Congo’s catholic church steps in to mediate the conflict
The Goma summit occurs as rebel leader Corneille Nangaa aims to establish himself as the spokesperson for armed organizations and politicians opposed to President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Goma, the provincial seat of North Kivu, has been under the hands of M23 since late January, and Nangaa’s organization, Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), views it as its military wing. The group threatened to move toward South Kivu province’s capital, Bukavu, on Tuesday.
The village of Ihusi, which is situated between Goma and Bukavu, west of Lake Kivu, is currently under M23 control, according to two UN sources and South Kivu Governor Jean-Jacques Purusi Sadiki on Wednesday.
Purusi Sadiki stated that Congolese forces were launching a counterattack and that “we have been informed that Ihusi has been taken by the enemies.”
The Congo’s army, backed by pro-government militia and Burundian soldiers, continues to hold control of Bukavu and the strategically important town of Kavumu, which is located approximately 22 miles north and has an airport.
Speaking anonymously, a Catholic Church official stated that the goal of the meeting with Nangaa was to assist in creating a framework for discussion that would be acceptable to all sides.
After the discussion, religious leaders demanded a cease-fire and the reopening of Goma’s port and airport, according to Donatien Nshole, secretary-general of the Congo’s Catholic bishops conference.
Tshisekedi signals openness to talks but demands inclusivity
On X, formerly Twitter, Tshisekedi’s office stated on Wednesday that the president had spoken with religious leaders separately and was amenable to outreach from the Catholic Church, so long as it was “inclusive.”
Fears of a wider regional warfare, akin to previous conflicts between 1996 and 2003, when several national forces fought in Congo, have been heightened by the possible battle for Bukavu.
According to Reuters, Congo, the United Nations, and a number of Western countries have accused Rwanda of providing troops and weapons to the rebels. Although Rwanda claims to be acting in self-defense, it has neither confirmed nor denied whether its troops are operating over the border.
Following Congo’s closure of its airspace to planes registered in Rwanda, Rwandan airline RwandAir announced on Wednesday that it has diverted flights.
