On Saturday 5 October, the Sant'Egidio Communities of Goma, Bukavu and Uvira, in the provinces of North and South Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, organised a series of meetings in the ‘spirit of Assisi’. Religious leaders, civil and military authorities, civil society representatives and leaders of the main ethnic groups gathered to ‘Imagine Peace’ in the wake of the event promoted by Sant'Egidio in Paris. Popular participation was also particularly large, expressing the great demand for peace in the society of this region.
The event took place at a time of serious regional conflict in which, despite the ‘ceasefire’ between the armed groups, considerable tension remains between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda
The meetings want to spread awareness of peace in a climate of increasing violence in the cities' urban fabric. ‘’Imagine peace,‘’ said Aline Minani, ‘’in Goma means for us to commit ourselves to mending the fabric of cohabitation in the city and in the neighbourhoods, especially with the poorest and the children who are the first victims of war‘’.
The Catholic Bishop Monsignor Willy Ngumbi was present in Goma, as well as the Anglican Bishop, the representative of the Federation of Protestant Churches, and the Imam of the Muslim community. The governor of North Kivu, General Peter Cirimwami, and the representative of the United Nations Mission in Congo (MONUSCO), M. Omar Aboud, were present for the authorities.
The meetings also convened a large number of people in South Kivu, in Bukavu and Uvira, who gathered to ‘Imagine Peace’. The religious leaders signed the appeal for peace launched in Paris. Bienvenu Bahati, in charge of the Community in Bukavu, emphasised that ‘’Imagining peace today in South Kivu is about giving hope and proposing alternatives to stop the violence cycle‘’ as war is ‘’eroding hope‘’, and there is a need to move from confrontation to dialogue between ethnic groups.
The religious leaders and the leaders of the tribal groups - Babembe, Bavira, Banyamulenge, Bafuliru, Bashi - among whom there are often tensions, were invited to a table in Uvira. The proposal of the Community of Sant'Egidio was welcomed as the basis for an effective dialogue to achieve much needed peace.
Some links in the Media
- Goma se rassemble pour imaginer la paix, Vatican News
- Bukavu : Un dialogue interreligieux pour imaginer la paix, Free Media RDC
- Uvira : Rencontre interreligieuse pour la paix de la Communauté Sant'Egidio — Différents acteurs se donnent à imaginer la paix, La Presse Africaine
