In a statement, Most Rev. Laurent Mbanda, the Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Rwanda and current Chairman of Rwanda Inter-Religious Council, extended sympathies to the victims of the hostilities, including those in border communities in Rwanda.
The council acknowledged the suffering of families who have lost loved ones, as well as those injured, displaced, and affected by the destruction of property due to the persistent unrest.
'Our hearts sincerely go out to all the families that have lost their loved ones, the injured, the displaced, and those who have lost their properties due to the ongoing conflicts. May God bring comfort and healing to all the affected families and communities,' the statement read.
The escalating conflict recently led to the capture of Goma City and several strategic towns in eastern Congo by the M23 rebel group, which has accused the Congolese government of persecuting and marginalizing Congolese Rwandophones in the region. The persecution stems from the artificial borders drawn by colonial powers in the early 20th century.
RIC emphasized that, with political will from all conflicting parties, the suffering could have been avoided. The council commended ongoing regional efforts aimed at achieving peaceful resolutions and alleviating the humanitarian crisis, stressing the need for open and honest dialogue.
'We are convinced that honest dialogue can lead to lasting and sustainable peace in the region. We therefore wish to encourage the conflicting parties to engage in candid conversations that deal with the actual historical root causes of the problems,' the statement added.
Beyond diplomatic efforts, RIC called upon religious communities to pray for peace and stability in the region and urged people of goodwill to extend relief to those affected by the conflict.
Regional efforts have intensified in recent weeks to address the conflict.
Over the weekend, Heads of State from the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) held a joint summit in Tanzania, directing the merger of the Luanda and Nairobi peace processes and the resumption of direct negotiations and dialogue between Kinshasa, M23, and other non-state actors within the merged process.
The regional leaders emphasized that both processes were crucial, resolving to strengthen them individually to "enhance complementarity."
The Nairobi Process, spearheaded by the EAC, aims to mediate a resolution between the Government of the DRC and various armed groups operating in the country's eastern regions.
The Luanda Peace Process, on the other hand, is mediated by Angola under the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and the African Union (AU). It primarily seeks to de-escalate tensions between the DRC and Rwanda, with Kinshasa accusing Rwanda of backing the M23 rebel group. Rwanda has repeatedly denied this the claims, insisting the M23 rebels are Congolese nationals fighting for their rights.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
