Church leaders from DR Congo’s Catholic and Protestant communities met with officials of the AFC/M23 rebel movement in Goma on Wednesday, February 8, in a bid to push for dialogue and a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict in the country’s east.
The rebels, who took control of Goma on January 27, moved quickly to restore essential services, including water, electricity, and schools. However, on February 10, they warned of a possible advance toward Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu Province, citing attacks against civilians by the Congolese army and its allies. Reports indicate worsening security in South Kivu, with accusations of violence, looting, and human rights abuses involving the Congolese army, Burundian troops, and Wazalendo militia.
The meeting at Goma Serena Hotel brought together representatives from the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) and the Church of Christ in Congo (ECC), a coalition of Protestant churches, with AFC/M23 coordinator Corneille Nangaa and senior rebel officials. The delegation entered DR Congo through the La Corniche One Stop Border Post in Rubavu District.
CENCO and ECC have long advocated for dialogue with M23, arguing that peace efforts must include all parties. On February 5, church leaders restated this position at a press conference in Kinshasa, calling for negotiations involving political leaders, the opposition, civil society, and the rebels. M23 resurfaced in late 2021, citing grievances related to the rights of the Congolese Kinyarwanda-speaking community in eastern DR Congo.
“Our role is not to label one side as good and the other as evil,” said Pastor Éric Nsenga, ECC’s secretary-general. “Peace cannot be achieved while rejecting mechanisms that could lead to it.”
Nsenga said excluding M23 from talks was unrealistic. “It would be absurd to think peace can be achieved without including all stakeholders,” he said. “Our position is to turn conflicts into opportunities for life.”
After meeting the rebels, the church delegation met with Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi on February 11 in Kinshasa. It is unclear whether their discussions will shift the government’s stance on direct negotiations.
Tshisekedi’s ruling party, the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), condemned the church-led initiative in a press release signed by interim president Augustin Kabuya. The statement noted that while AFC/M23 could be integrated into the EAC-led Nairobi peace process, direct talks with Kinshasa were not an option. The UDPS also criticized certain religious figures for what it described as hostility toward government institutions.
