Friends hold DRC in the Light

‘The sounds of weapons sting hard at the ear.’

Quakers have called for peace following a major escalation of violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), after the Rwanda-backed rebel group M23 captured the city of Goma.

According to the United Nations, around 700 people were killed and 2,800 injured in Goma and the vicinity, between 26 and 30 January. The figure has since risen significantly.

The seizure of DRC’s largest city was ‘a dire humanitarian crisis’, said the UN and aid groups, particularly as Goma serves as a humanitarian hub for millions of displaced Congolese.

The rapidly-escalating conflict has seen children executed, sexual violence, and 400,000 people displaced this year alone. 

Britain Yearly Meeting called for ‘all parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law, ensure the protection of civilians, and facilitate the delivery of aid’. It said that the escalating crisis in the eastern DRC has ‘left many dead, injured and without water or electricity’.

Catherine Putz, from Quaker Congo Partnership (QCP UK), told the Friend that Goma was captured ‘after significant fighting with the Congolese army, FARDC and its Wazalendo allies. Up to 3,000 people have been killed and many more injured. The situation is chaotic with frequent power cuts and little access to water. It has made worse the plight of more than 280,000 displaced people settled in seventy-eight sites for displaced people in the city of Goma for more than two years. The rebel group M23 wants to gain control of the mines and hence of Congo’s mineral wealth.’

She added: ‘M23 has now taken large areas of South Kivu, so many more people are being displaced, fleeing to Bukavu. Local Quakers are giving what support they can to the refugees, but need our help.’

QCP UK and Conflict Minerals Campaign (CMC) have launched an appeal and are in contact with people affected in DRC.

George Bani, from CMC, said: ‘The security and humanitarian situation is terrible. There is an urgent need for food, tarpaulins, blankets, clean water, soaps, clothes and mattresses.’

Meanwhile Alphonse Putulu Lukozi, a Quaker pastor, said that members of Quaker families are in hospital, with some injured by stray bullets, attacked in their homes, or robbed. Many people are staying in houses of church members. Eighteen people are staying in his house. 

One Friend, Jean Bosco, said that the M23 wants all the displaced people in Goma to return to their villages. ‘But this is almost impossible because in their villages everything has been demolished.’

Isaac Saidi, the project lead for peacebuilding, supported by QCP, whose sister and nephews live in Goma, said. ‘The sounds of weapons sting hard at the ear and give a message of instability and violence.’ 

Describing the need as ‘urgent’, Mmoleca Macimo, legal representative of Friends Church in Congo, asked Friends to ‘pray and support them in providing humanitarian help’. 

Donations can be made via QCP’s website, or directly through this GAYL link: https://donate.giveasyoulive.com/campaign/goma-2025-appeal.

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Comments

I recommend also supporting for the long-term the three year old African Great Lakes Consortium of eleven African created and managed local charities in eastern DRC and Burundi https://www.copgla.org/  who are providing for the education of orphans, training of widows and other victims of violence, and peace building education. Anyone who shows an interest in supporting them, making a donation or financing one of their many projects can contact them at the following addresses:
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (Dr. Dieudonné Bisibo Alimasi, M.D., member, Baraka Quaker Meeting, South Kivu DRC, and unpaid Consoritum coordinator)
Watsapp number: +243978637995

By Daniel Flynn on 14th February 2025 - 11:39

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