PRESENTATION OF THE ARCHBISHOP OF BUKAVU AT CONGO GLOBAL ACTION’S CONFERENCE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,March 30 -31st, 2008

Translated From French  & Published April 7, 2008

Introduction

Dear brothers and sisters,

It is in the name of all the people of goodwill living in the Africa’s Great Lakes Region, of all my Congolese brothers and sisters, of all the episcopate of the ACEAC in general, of all the ecclesiastical Province of Bukavu and of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in particular, and in my name that I stand on this platform to address this majestic assembly.

On this conference’s agenda are several topics for reflection and each one of them is of great importance, namely: the study of violence against girls and women in DRC, the issue of child soldiers as direct and indirect victims of wars, exploitation of natural resources, good governance, etc. It is difficult to address in depth all these topics and talk about our current situation at the same time given the limited time.

I will limit myself to a few points, knowing that other speakers will supplement my words, because the Congolese situation is complex.  My presentation will address six small points, namely the nature of armed conflict in DRC, the study of violence against women, the problem of child soldiers, natural resource exploitation, the harmful consequences of the wars back home, our hopes and our challenges, and a final conclusion.

2. Nature of Armed Conflicts in DR Congo
   

Franz Pennon said that Africa has the shape of a revolver whose trigger would be the Congo. This war from which the Congolese people have been suffering for more than a decade proves his analogy - that some have described the Congo crisis as the Africa’s First World War.
 
Some say that it is a civil war, whereas others speak about an ethnic war. That is not true because the Congolese people are peaceful, never in conflict. For proof, we are more than 400 tribes and share a border with nine countries. We would be in internal and external perpetual confrontations if we were quarrelsome. The war in Congo is rather a war of aggression, an exported and imposed war, a proxy war whose victims are the Congo and its neighbors.

We are one of the largest and richest countries in Africa: a geological splendor, a terrestrial paradise. Congo also abounds in valorous human resources. Their sympathy and their capacity allows them to render great services everywhere in the world.  It is probably all of this which attracts envy and jealousy, spurring the crisis that we are undergoing today.

We thank all those who have come to our assistance, wiped away our tears, reassured us and alerted decision makers of the national and international organizations as well as official governments during the war and post-war period.   Thank you to all the participants in this session and you all, members of this organization, for giving us the opportunity to express the suffering of our people today here in Washington.

By Bahati Ntama Jacques

Published Feb 25, 2008

In wartime, the crime of rape is not a new phenomenon; but the situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has no comparison.  Many reports have been written calling with urgency for national and international action to end the rape pandemic in eastern Congo, but the fact is that the situation continues to worsen.  Jeffery Gettleman in his article Rape Epidemic Raises Trauma of Congo War in New York Times October 7, 2007 reports that “Every day, 10 new women and girls who have been raped show up at his hospital (refereeing to Panzi hospital in Bukavu).  Many have been sadistically attacked from the inside out, butchered by bayonets and assaulted with chunks of woods, that their reproductive and genital systems are beyond repair.”   Pretending to listen is not listening at all.  How much evidence does the world need for immediate, imperative and unconditional action?

The victims are many 

Since the war began in 1996, no one knows the exact number of rape cases in the DRC. Often, they are underreported either for lack of accurate reporting or for embarrassment of the victims who do not wish to have their story known.  Because of the worsening situation in eastern DRC, we are now hearing the stories of some survivors who have come forward, but we do not know the stories of those who were killed after being raped, those who are silent because they have no one to turn to, those who are afraid of rejection or retaliation by their victimizers, those who are silenced for reasons that they only know, or those who are still being held hostage.   In the DRC, the United Nations reported 27,000 cases of rape in 2006 and UNICEF reported 12,867 between May 2006-May 2007.  Many of the victims test positive for sexually transmitted diseases, among them HIV/AIDS.

Who are the offenders?

The offenders are the Congolese army, internal militia groups (which, as of today are about 47 in the north and south Kivu provinces) and foreign rebel groups operating on Congolese territory.  For the residents of Rugari, Rumangabo Ntamugenga, and the surrounding areas it is not the first time women have had to face the Congolese army on rape issues.  In 1985, the former president Mobutu Sesse-Seko sent many soldiers to the Rumangabo military base who had just came from the war in Chad.   Women were not safe anywhere until the men and women, young and old, rose as one in different communities and took justice into their hands to resist an army that had become a gang of bandits.  While this solution tends to perpetuate the cycle of violence, it was all the community could do at the time to stop the offenders.

The issue of security in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (D.R.C) seems to be a tough puzzle to solve.  Violence has resumed since late August 2007 and many people are dying, women are being raped, and children are forcefully enrolled in rebel groups.  The Congolese government seems to have exhausted all its options and the international community has been inadequate in tackling the issue.   Yet, apathy from these actors is merely one reason the war in DRC continues.  Those interested in peace are delving deeper into the root causes of the crisis, asking questions that have yet to be formally addressed by governments or international institutions. 

Many Congolese voices have been ignored or marginalized, despite their ability to comprehend the situation beyond that of Western analysts.  Listening to the people of DRC is an important step to solving the insecurity puzzle in the region.  This is why, on November 18, 2007 at TrinityWashington University in Washington DC, Africa Faith and Justice Network (AFJN), the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and the Missionaries of Africa invited different Congolese voices to reflect on the issue of security. The panel provided them an opportunity to speak and to listen to each other on various aspects of the crisis.