Aid to the Church in Need: "No to the balkanization" of Congo

"No to the balkanization" of Congo - interview with Bishop Ambongo

Posted by Information report on 9/12/2008, 1:50 pm
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Interview with Mgr. Fridolin Ambongo, bishop of the Diocese of Bokungu-Ikela and president of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Episcopal Conference of Congo

"No to the balkanization" of Congo

Montreal – During the visit of the Catholic Church of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to Canada, Mgr. Fridolin Ambongo, bishop of the Diocese of Bokungu-Ikela and president of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Episcopal Conference of Congo, granted us an interview. In this interview he calls General Nkunda, chief of the rebels, to respect the framework of negotiation — the Amani program, meaning peace in Swahili — established after the civil war. The last conflict in DRC caused more than 4 million deaths between 1996 and 2002. The trip was arranged by the Development and Peace organization of the Catholic Church in Canada.

Q) What conditions are necessary in order for a dialog or negotiation to be effective with the rebels in the present conflict?

A) The present situation in DRC is not an issue with regard to a framework of negotiation because the framework is already present. What is missing is the will to put it into action. This framework is called the Amani Program, which means peace in Swahili. All partners involved in the current conflict have signed it, notably that man, that general Nkunda who took the weapons. He signed this agreement, however he does not want to respect it. That is why we are here: to ask the Canadian government to put pressure on this general so that he may put down his weapons and return to the existing framework for a dialog with the other partners, especially the government.

Q) Mgr. Ambongo, why in your opinion does he not respect this framework, negotiated in good faith by all parties, and that should have been successful?

A) This is the fundamental question we are asking ourselves, why does he not want to respect it? We think he has a hidden agenda. His intention or his claims vary regularly. At the beginning, he spoke of the necessity to protect a minority in danger. Afterwards, it was to chase away the government because it was an incompetent one. Now he is speaking of the presence of the Chinese, etc.
So we can see that this man wants something else. And what we know is that he wants to keep a territory in Congo only for himself, which would serve as a sort of principality, a republic. In short, we think that is the intention, to allow him to gradually exploit the riches contained in that part of the country.

Q) Do you believe he is encouraged by the government of Rwanda or that he is acting alone?

A) The evidence is there. We are not alone in recognizing it. Even the United Nations [recognize it]. The diplomats dare not say it directly due to the problem in Rwanda: the genocide. But the facts are there and we have the proof. This man, when he began the rebellion, only had a few weapons used by our military. Today, he deploys sophisticated weapons: where does he find them? So, backing him he has, we have the proof, Paul Kagamé. And behind Paul Kagamé, we fear there are other nations.

Q) These other nations would therefore not be doing all the necessary work so that the population may live in peace, in order to monopolize the riches of the region? We know that it is a region full of minerals and incredible natural riches. It would explain the carelessness in this humanitarian crisis...

A) We don’t know if the motivation for these outside nations is only the riches. But we think that it is two countries that have a certain marked affinity with Rwanda, to the point where they started to cause problems for the population: that Rwanda would be overpopulated, that it would take worlds to get rid of this part of the population, etc. And, we have even seen a map of Africa, a new map, where a part of Congo that has already been removed would have become, had it not been attached to Rwanda, a separate republic. So our fight, and it is the fight of all the Congolese people, is to say no to the balkanization of our country.

Q) Mgr. Ambongo, the situation is tragic for the population. What is the Church presently doing to help?

A) The Catholic Church is in the front lines in this fight for the dignity of the Congolese people. As you know, the atrocities against the Congolese population are the doings of militia armies but also of certain elements of the Congolese army. The Church is the only institution that has resolved not to remain insensitive with regard to this situation. It is also for this reason that we are here, in other words to make humanity as a whole understand the seriousness of the situation that the Congolese people are presently enduring. The Church has already done a lot but as you know, the Catholic Church, faced with this situation that surpasses our means, is as poor [in DRC]. We have very, very limited means, which is why we came here on a mission, a bit like prophets who cry out in the desert, to bring about human consciousness in order to turn towards and lean in on the situation in Congo, so that we may definitively put an end to this unfair war and so that those people, wandering in the rain, starving, may return to their lands and begin cultivating and farming.

Q) Concretely what are the conditions for a lasting peace?

A) The conditions for us are known. The first thing: we have just had democratic elections in Congo barely a year and a half ago, and there are democratic institutions that were established. We can criticize certain aspects, the ‘how the elections went’, but it was the first time in history that the Congolese people were having real democratic elections. It is something we could improve but anyway, the result is there, thanks to the cooperation and support of the international community, notably the Canadian government. Now, a process has been launched. Whether we let this process develop, and if someone has claims that he is not happy with this or that aspect of the present functioning of the democracy of Congo, there is a framework of dialog: they should come express themselves within that framework. That is what we called the Amani program. And the elections have deadlines - within three to four years, he who wants to be the president of the Republic, or play a political role, will need only to present himself before electors and the electors will see. If he is capable, they will vote for him, yes or no.

Q) In the case of the DRC, could we speak of a democratic emergence? In a society that has known one of the worse dictatorships of the 20th century, that of Mobutu Sese Seko, can we say that there are two poles that are presently in conflict: those who want to use force and weapons to meet their goals, and those who would like to negotiate and live within the frame of the democratic rules?

A)It seems that those who are presently in power arrived by means of elections. On the other hand, we have this General Nkunda who also wants to have access to power, not by elections but by taking weapons. Now, us Congolese people, we know the harmful consequences of this practice and we no longer want war in our country. That is why we say, he who wants, he who has access to power, there is a structure that is presently working and he needs only to respect it.

Q) What is the role of the Church in time of war?

A) The first mission of the Church is to preach love, peace and reconciliation. But the Church cannot preach peace as long as the cause of war is not identified. The role of the Church is also to make analyses to enlighten the conscience of the people on the real stakes of the war. This is what we are trying to do. We do not think it is worth it to stay in our vestries and to cry, “reconcile with each other, love one another”, as long as we are unable to identify the real causes leading to the war. And this is the effort we have been making lately: in preaching reconciliation and peace, we want it to be a peace based on justice and human rights, because that is what often leads to war here; the denial of rights and the denial of justice

Source : Mario Bard
(514) 932-0552 1-800-585-6333 com@acn-aed-ca.org

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