Tag: congo,

Fides News – EnglishAFRICA/DR CONGO – Missionary from the capital of South Kivu: “Bukavu is abandoned to hunger and neglect”​

Bukavu – “I entered the city yesterday morning with a feeling of joy and hope in light of the election of Pope Leo XIV. I seemed to sense this feeling in the people I met, even though the reality remained the same,” reports a missionary from Bukavu , the capital of South Kivu, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, which was taken over by the M23 militia on February 16 . Since then, the city has been in a state of limbo, suspended between the lack of services guaranteed by state institutions that are no longer present and insecurity reigns.
“An eight-year-old boy in a school uniform sat on a pipe by the side of the road with a notebook on his lap. “How come you are on the street at this time and not at school?” I asked him. “They sent me away because I did not pay for the school year. My brother stayed, my parents paid for him yesterday, but they could not pay for me. I will wait for him until he finishes and then we will go home together.” His sadness infected me: “It is not your fault or your parents’ fault. Children have the right to learn for free. It is the country that is not working…” He nodded, and I continued on my way,” the report continues. “In this time of ongoing bank and cooperative closures, even humanitarian aid is becoming difficult, and how many will be helped? Poverty is spreading day by day: so many have lost their jobs because their deposits were plundered, because there is no money, in the case of civil servants, because they were replaced by someone hired by their new rulers, and sometimes because they refused to submit to their ideology…” the missionary says. “For three months now, there have been no police officers, no police stations, no central prison, no courts, no judges, and no lawyers in the city. The law is being hastily enforced by the military branch of the M23. A few days ago, a poor man walking through the narrow streets of his neighborhood at 7 a.m. on his way to work encountered some armed men who accused him of being a thief and immediately shot him”. Sometimes, bodies, tied together with stones, surface from Lake Kivu and have been dumped in the water. There are no investigations, and it is often unknown who killed during the night: an M23 fighter? A thief taking advantage of weapons abandoned by fleeing Congolese soldiers? A former convict among the more than 2,000 released shortly before the M23’s arrival on February 16? Revenge and settling of scores? To eliminate someone, it is enough to accuse them of being a thief, a soldier, or one of the Wazalendo…,” the missionary laments. “Or was it a group of people plagued by insecurity and hunger?” “Cases of ‘popular justice,’ executions carried out by popular outcry, are indeed numerous. In their desperation, they seize one or more suspected thieves and kill them immediately. This does not discourage the repetition of the facts. There is no investigation: Bukavu is abandoned to hunger and neglect, left only to the conscience of its inhabitants. Many private and public vehicles have been taken by the residents, used, or taken to neighboring Rwanda. Unjustified taxes are levied on every bundle that arrives from the countryside to the city on a motorcycle or bus; unjustified fines are imposed for non-existent violations. And there is no fruit to be seen in the city,” the missionary says of the current situation. “In these last weeks of the year, the children who suffer most are those who are expelled from school, as if the trauma they have been suffering for weeks from constant shelling were not enough. They, too, are often witnesses to violence: What is being sown in their hearts when they should be dreaming of beautiful things?” she asks herself. “People fill the churches, clinging with all their might to the God they believe in, who knows how to listen to the oppressed, but from a human perspective, they see no way out. Distant authorities who do not even offer a word of compassion, great powers pursuing their own interests… People go so far as to say: Let them take away all our minerals, but let us live…” reports the missionary. “Life in eastern Congo is like experiencing a prolonged agony. And the tenacity of the people to smile, the courage to show solidarity, to marry. “Giving birth and thanking God every day that he is still there is like a caress that seeks to revive hope,” the missionary concludes. “Today a mother from one of the vibrant congregations, called “Shrika,” who take turns bringing food to the General Hospital, testifies to this: “Yesterday it was our Shrika’s turn to do the apostolate at the hospital. There was enough food for the sick and their caregivers; the night nurses, the maintenance and security staff also benefited. The war wounded, the combatants… are cared for by the ICRC and Doctors Without Borders. Many do not know how to pay for treatment, so that even though they are cured, they cannot leave the hospital. The group has helped some of them pay the medical bills and some who have no means to pay for medication. … The number of patients is declining, and with it the income. How can you stock the pharmacy, pay the staff, and buy medical equipment in such a crisis? It is a vicious circle. More and more malnourished children are being cared for… It is the multiplication of loaves.”
Bukavu – “I entered the city yesterday morning with a feeling of joy and hope in light of the election of Pope Leo XIV. I seemed to sense this feeling in the people I met, even though the reality remained the same,” reports a missionary from Bukavu , the capital of South Kivu, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, which was taken over by the M23 militia on February 16 . Since then, the city has been in a state of limbo, suspended between the lack of services guaranteed by state institutions that are no longer present and insecurity reigns. “An eight-year-old boy in a school uniform sat on a pipe by the side of the road with a notebook on his lap. “How come you are on the street at this time and not at school?” I asked him. “They sent me away because I did not pay for the school year. My brother stayed, my parents paid for him yesterday, but they could not pay for me. I will wait for him until he finishes and then we will go home together.” His sadness infected me: “It is not your fault or your parents’ fault. Children have the right to learn for free. It is the country that is not working…” He nodded, and I continued on my way,” the report continues. “In this time of ongoing bank and cooperative closures, even humanitarian aid is becoming difficult, and how many will be helped? Poverty is spreading day by day: so many have lost their jobs because their deposits were plundered, because there is no money, in the case of civil servants, because they were replaced by someone hired by their new rulers, and sometimes because they refused to submit to their ideology…” the missionary says. “For three months now, there have been no police officers, no police stations, no central prison, no courts, no judges, and no lawyers in the city. The law is being hastily enforced by the military branch of the M23. A few days ago, a poor man walking through the narrow streets of his neighborhood at 7 a.m. on his way to work encountered some armed men who accused him of being a thief and immediately shot him”. Sometimes, bodies, tied together with stones, surface from Lake Kivu and have been dumped in the water. There are no investigations, and it is often unknown who killed during the night: an M23 fighter? A thief taking advantage of weapons abandoned by fleeing Congolese soldiers? A former convict among the more than 2,000 released shortly before the M23’s arrival on February 16? Revenge and settling of scores? To eliminate someone, it is enough to accuse them of being a thief, a soldier, or one of the Wazalendo…,” the missionary laments. “Or was it a group of people plagued by insecurity and hunger?” “Cases of ‘popular justice,’ executions carried out by popular outcry, are indeed numerous. In their desperation, they seize one or more suspected thieves and kill them immediately. This does not discourage the repetition of the facts. There is no investigation: Bukavu is abandoned to hunger and neglect, left only to the conscience of its inhabitants. Many private and public vehicles have been taken by the residents, used, or taken to neighboring Rwanda. Unjustified taxes are levied on every bundle that arrives from the countryside to the city on a motorcycle or bus; unjustified fines are imposed for non-existent violations. And there is no fruit to be seen in the city,” the missionary says of the current situation. “In these last weeks of the year, the children who suffer most are those who are expelled from school, as if the trauma they have been suffering for weeks from constant shelling were not enough. They, too, are often witnesses to violence: What is being sown in their hearts when they should be dreaming of beautiful things?” she asks herself. “People fill the churches, clinging with all their might to the God they believe in, who knows how to listen to the oppressed, but from a human perspective, they see no way out. Distant authorities who do not even offer a word of compassion, great powers pursuing their own interests… People go so far as to say: Let them take away all our minerals, but let us live…” reports the missionary. “Life in eastern Congo is like experiencing a prolonged agony. And the tenacity of the people to smile, the courage to show solidarity, to marry. “Giving birth and thanking God every day that he is still there is like a caress that seeks to revive hope,” the missionary concludes. “Today a mother from one of the vibrant congregations, called “Shrika,” who take turns bringing food to the General Hospital, testifies to this: “Yesterday it was our Shrika’s turn to do the apostolate at the hospital. There was enough food for the sick and their caregivers; the night nurses, the maintenance and security staff also benefited. The war wounded, the combatants… are cared for by the ICRC and Doctors Without Borders. Many do not know how to pay for treatment, so that even though they are cured, they cannot leave the hospital. The group has helped some of them pay the medical bills and some who have no means to pay for medication. … The number of patients is declining, and with it the income. How can you stock the pharmacy, pay the staff, and buy medical equipment in such a crisis? It is a vicious circle. More and more malnourished children are being cared for… It is the multiplication of loaves.” 

Using an analogue-digital hybrid clinical data management platform during a two-dose preventive Ebola virus vaccine trial in Goma, the Democratic Republic of the Congo – ​Hannah E. Brindle

by Hannah E. Brindle, Darius Tetsa-Tata, Tansy Edwards, Edward Man-Lik Choi, Kambale Kasonia, Soumah Aboubacar, Grace Mambula, Hugo Kavunga-Membo, Rebecca Grais, John Johnson, Daniel G. Bausch, Jean-Jacques Muyembe-Tamfum, Ibrahim Seyni Ama, Shelley Lees, Deborah Watson-Jones, Anton Camacho, Chrissy H. Roberts

Clinical trials in settings with intermittent or non-existent internet and power connectivity, for example during humanitarian emergencies, present challenges in the synchronisation of data across different sites, in addition to accessing a centralised database in real-time. To overcome these, we designed a novel hybrid analogue/digital data management system which was deployed during the rapid implementation of a Phase III evaluation of a two-dose preventative vaccine for Ebola virus disease in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, from 2019 to 2022. We provided study participants with an Enhanced Participant Record Card (EPRC) that served as eligibility for, and confirmation of, vaccination and was used in combination with Open Data Kit (ODK) electronic case report forms to create an off-grid study participant management system. To understand the utility of the EPRC, we analysed data from 15,327 study participants who received both vaccines and various types of prompts or reminders to return for dose 2, including home visits, telephone calls, or short messaging service (SMS). A total of 53% participants referred to the date on the EPRC as a prompt to return for dose 2 and 36.1% mentioned this as the only prompt. A multivariable generalised linear mixed-effects model showed that those who were not working, those aged 45–64 years or who had a chronic medical condition identified prior to receiving dose 2 were more likely to use the date on the EPRC as a prompt. Our findings demonstrate the utility of this system in the facilitation of decentralised data collection in off-grid locations that may be useful for future trials in complex humanitarian settings.
Clinical Trials Registration Number: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01128790

Fides News – EnglishAFRICA/DR CONGO – Maniema province is also suffering the consequences of the war in neighboring North Kivu​

Kinshasa – Calm has returned to Lubutu, in Maniema province, following clashes between two factions of Wazalendo militiamen sparked by a leadership dispute. Reconciliation was achieved last weekend during a session convened by local authorities with the support of civil society and community leaders. Colonel Bukuyi and General Mando, leaders of the warring groups, sealed the peace with a handshake.
Lubutu currently hosts some 43,000 displaced people from the Walikale territory in North Kivu, a region partially controlled by the M23 rebels.
The Wazalendo are pro-government militias that support the Congolese regular army in the fight against the M23. However, their command structure is weak and they often escape the control of authorities, engaging in robberies and attacks against the very communities they are supposed to protect. The massive influx of displaced people in the Maniema province has overwhelmed the already fragile local infrastructure, especially health care. Security conditions in the province have deteriorated to such an extent that a local civil society association has called for a day of protest tomorrow, April 16, in Kindu, the provincial capital, to demand greater security and better conditions on provincial roads.

Kinshasa – Calm has returned to Lubutu, in Maniema province, following clashes between two factions of Wazalendo militiamen sparked by a leadership dispute. Reconciliation was achieved last weekend during a session convened by local authorities with the support of civil society and community leaders. Colonel Bukuyi and General Mando, leaders of the warring groups, sealed the peace with a handshake. Lubutu currently hosts some 43,000 displaced people from the Walikale territory in North Kivu, a region partially controlled by the M23 rebels. The Wazalendo are pro-government militias that support the Congolese regular army in the fight against the M23. However, their command structure is weak and they often escape the control of authorities, engaging in robberies and attacks against the very communities they are supposed to protect. The massive influx of displaced people in the Maniema province has overwhelmed the already fragile local infrastructure, especially health care. Security conditions in the province have deteriorated to such an extent that a local civil society association has called for a day of protest tomorrow, April 16, in Kindu, the provincial capital, to demand greater security and better conditions on provincial roads. 

Fides News – EnglishAFRICA/DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO – Appointment of bishop of Molegbe​

Vatican City – The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Joseph Mopepe Ngongo, doctoral candidate in theology at the Université Catholique du Congo, as bishop of the diocese of Molegbe, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Msgr. Joseph Mopepe Ngongo was born on 15 July 1966 in Gemena, diocese of Molegbe. He entered the Saint François d’Assise Preparatory Seminary of Katokoli and studied philosophy at the Saint Jean-Baptiste Major Seminary of Bamanya and theology at the Université Catholique du Congo.
He received priestly ordination on 19 March 1995.
After ordination, he was awarded a licentiate in theology from the Université Catholique du Congo , and held the roles of formator and rector of the Saint Pierre et Saint Paul Interdiocesan Major Seminary in Lisala.
In 2011 he began his studies for a doctorate in France where, at the same time, he served as vicar of the Notre Dame Saint Jacques Cathedral in Reims . In addition, he was moderator of the parishes of the Espace missionnaire Sedan-Yvois and chaplain of the Equipes du Rosaire of the metropolitan archdiocese of Reims .
In 2024 he returned to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to conclude his doctoral studies at the Université Catholique du Congo in Kinshasa.

Vatican City – The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Joseph Mopepe Ngongo, doctoral candidate in theology at the Université Catholique du Congo, as bishop of the diocese of Molegbe, Democratic Republic of the Congo.Msgr. Joseph Mopepe Ngongo was born on 15 July 1966 in Gemena, diocese of Molegbe. He entered the Saint François d’Assise Preparatory Seminary of Katokoli and studied philosophy at the Saint Jean-Baptiste Major Seminary of Bamanya and theology at the Université Catholique du Congo.He received priestly ordination on 19 March 1995.After ordination, he was awarded a licentiate in theology from the Université Catholique du Congo , and held the roles of formator and rector of the Saint Pierre et Saint Paul Interdiocesan Major Seminary in Lisala.In 2011 he began his studies for a doctorate in France where, at the same time, he served as vicar of the Notre Dame Saint Jacques Cathedral in Reims . In addition, he was moderator of the parishes of the Espace missionnaire Sedan-Yvois and chaplain of the Equipes du Rosaire of the metropolitan archdiocese of Reims .In 2024 he returned to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to conclude his doctoral studies at the Université Catholique du Congo in Kinshasa. 

Fides News – Spanish (Spain – Traditional)ÁFRICA/R.D. CONGO – La provincia de Maniema también sufre las consecuencias de la guerra en el vecino Kivu del Norte​

Kinshasa – La calma ha vuelto a Lubutu, en la provincia de Maniema, tras los enfrentamientos entre dos facciones de milicianos Wazalendo provocados por una disputa de liderazgo. La reconciliación se logró el pasado fin de semana, durante una sesión convocada por las autoridades locales con el apoyo de la sociedad civil y líderes comunitarios. El coronel Bukuyi y el general Mando, cabecillas de los grupos enfrentados, sellaron la paz con un apretón de manos.

Lubutu acoge actualmente a unos 43.000 desplazados del territorio de Walikale, en Kivu del Norte, región parcialmente controlada por los rebeldes del M23.

Los Wazalendo son milicias pro-gubernamentales que colaboran con el ejército regular congoleño en la lucha contra el M23. Sin embargo, su estructura de mando es débil y muchas veces escapan al control de las autoridades, incurriendo en robos y agresiones contra las mismas comunidades que deberían proteger.

La masiva llegada de desplazados a la provincia de Maniema ha desbordado las ya frágiles infraestructuras locales, especialmente las sanitarias. Las condiciones de seguridad en la provincia se han deteriorado hasta tal punto que una asociación local de la sociedad civil ha convocado para mañana, 16 de abril, una jornada de protesta en Kindu, la capital provincial, para exigir mayor seguridad y mejores condiciones en las carreteras provinciales.

Kinshasa – La calma ha vuelto a Lubutu, en la provincia de Maniema, tras los enfrentamientos entre dos facciones de milicianos Wazalendo provocados por una disputa de liderazgo. La reconciliación se logró el pasado fin de semana, durante una sesión convocada por las autoridades locales con el apoyo de la sociedad civil y líderes comunitarios. El coronel Bukuyi y el general Mando, cabecillas de los grupos enfrentados, sellaron la paz con un apretón de manos.Lubutu acoge actualmente a unos 43.000 desplazados del territorio de Walikale, en Kivu del Norte, región parcialmente controlada por los rebeldes del M23.Los Wazalendo son milicias pro-gubernamentales que colaboran con el ejército regular congoleño en la lucha contra el M23. Sin embargo, su estructura de mando es débil y muchas veces escapan al control de las autoridades, incurriendo en robos y agresiones contra las mismas comunidades que deberían proteger.La masiva llegada de desplazados a la provincia de Maniema ha desbordado las ya frágiles infraestructuras locales, especialmente las sanitarias. Las condiciones de seguridad en la provincia se han deteriorado hasta tal punto que una asociación local de la sociedad civil ha convocado para mañana, 16 de abril, una jornada de protesta en Kindu, la capital provincial, para exigir mayor seguridad y mejores condiciones en las carreteras provinciales. 

Fides News – Spanish (Spain – Traditional)ÁFRICA/RD. CONGO – En Kivu, desgarrado por la guerra, el Obispo de Butembo-Beni exhorta a no perder la fe​

Kinshasa – «No debemos perder nunca la fe, pase lo que pase. Incluso cuando todo parece oscuro, Dios nunca puede abandonarnos». Así lo ha afirmado Mons. Melchisédech Sikuli Paluku, Obispo de Butembo-Beni, durante la Misa del Domingo de Ramos.

El prelado ha expresado su cercanía a las víctimas -a menudo olvidadas- del conflicto en Kivu, e ha instado a los cristianos a convertirse en testigos de esperanza: «El mal no tendrá la última palabra en la historia», ha afirmado.

La zona de Butembo-Beni, en Kivu Norte, continúa bajo control del gobierno congoleño, mientras que los rebeldes del M23 han tomado la capital provincial, Goma . La guerra en Kivu del Norte y Kivu del Sur sigue sembrando muerte y destrucción: al menos 50 personas murieron en Goma entre la noche del 11 y el 12 de abril, tras enfrentamientos que sacudieron varios barrios del oeste de la ciudad.

El Movimiento 23 de Marzo y el ejército congoleño se acusan mutuamente de la masacre. Según fuentes locales, los combates se habrían desencadenado cuando milicianos progubernamentales Wazalendo intentaron una incursión para recuperar el control de la ciudad. El problema del control de los milicianos Wazalendo también afecta a la provincia vecina de Kivu del Sur, cuya capital, Bukavu, fue capturada por el M23 a mediados de febrero .

En un informe enviado a la Agencia Fides por la organización local ACMEJ , se señala que en las zonas no ocupadas por el M23, los habitantes viven atemorizados por los disparos indiscriminados de los Wazalendo y del ejército congoleño, que supuestamente han sido desplegados para proteger a la población.

Según testimonios recogidos por los facilitadores del ACMEJ en “las llanuras de Ruzizi y Uvira, urge poner fin a los tiroteos mientras no lleguen a la zona los combatientes del M23, sus aliados y soldados ruandeses”. El informe advierte que los enfrentamientos se deben a disputas entre las distintas fuerzas que, en teoría, deberían estar aliadas contra el M23.

La ACMEJ subraya dos puntos críticos: la necesidad de armonizar los distintos grupos de autodefensa llegados de otras regiones, y la persistente desconfianza entre los defensores, alimentada por repetidos casos de deserción de soldados del ejército regular hacia las filas del M23.
Kinshasa – «No debemos perder nunca la fe, pase lo que pase. Incluso cuando todo parece oscuro, Dios nunca puede abandonarnos». Así lo ha afirmado Mons. Melchisédech Sikuli Paluku, Obispo de Butembo-Beni, durante la Misa del Domingo de Ramos.El prelado ha expresado su cercanía a las víctimas -a menudo olvidadas- del conflicto en Kivu, e ha instado a los cristianos a convertirse en testigos de esperanza: «El mal no tendrá la última palabra en la historia», ha afirmado.La zona de Butembo-Beni, en Kivu Norte, continúa bajo control del gobierno congoleño, mientras que los rebeldes del M23 han tomado la capital provincial, Goma . La guerra en Kivu del Norte y Kivu del Sur sigue sembrando muerte y destrucción: al menos 50 personas murieron en Goma entre la noche del 11 y el 12 de abril, tras enfrentamientos que sacudieron varios barrios del oeste de la ciudad.El Movimiento 23 de Marzo y el ejército congoleño se acusan mutuamente de la masacre. Según fuentes locales, los combates se habrían desencadenado cuando milicianos progubernamentales Wazalendo intentaron una incursión para recuperar el control de la ciudad. El problema del control de los milicianos Wazalendo también afecta a la provincia vecina de Kivu del Sur, cuya capital, Bukavu, fue capturada por el M23 a mediados de febrero .En un informe enviado a la Agencia Fides por la organización local ACMEJ , se señala que en las zonas no ocupadas por el M23, los habitantes viven atemorizados por los disparos indiscriminados de los Wazalendo y del ejército congoleño, que supuestamente han sido desplegados para proteger a la población.Según testimonios recogidos por los facilitadores del ACMEJ en “las llanuras de Ruzizi y Uvira, urge poner fin a los tiroteos mientras no lleguen a la zona los combatientes del M23, sus aliados y soldados ruandeses”. El informe advierte que los enfrentamientos se deben a disputas entre las distintas fuerzas que, en teoría, deberían estar aliadas contra el M23.La ACMEJ subraya dos puntos críticos: la necesidad de armonizar los distintos grupos de autodefensa llegados de otras regiones, y la persistente desconfianza entre los defensores, alimentada por repetidos casos de deserción de soldados del ejército regular hacia las filas del M23. 

Fides News – Spanish (Spain – Traditional)ÁFRICA/R.D CONGO – Nombramiento del obispo de Molegbe​

Ciudad del Vaticano – El Santo Padre Francisco, el 15 de abril de 2025, ha nombrado obispo de la diócesis de Molegbe al reverendo padre Joseph Mopepe Ngongo, doctorando en Teología por la Université Catholique du Congo.

S.E. Mons. Joseph Mopepe Ngongo nació el 15 de julio de 1966 en Gemena, diócesis de Molegbe. Ingresó en el Seminario Propedeutico San Francisco de Asís de Katokoli, estudió Filosofía en el Seminario Mayor San Juan Bautista de Bamanya y Teología en la Universidad Católica del Congo. Fue ordenado sacerdote el 19 de marzo de 1995.

Ha desempeñado los siguientes cargos y realizado estudios adicionales: Licenciatura en Teología en la Université Catholique du Congo ; Formador y Rector del Seminario Mayor Interdiocesano Saint Pierre et Saint Paul en Lisala.
En 2011 comenzó a estudiar un doctorado en Francia, donde al mismo tiempo fue vicario de la catedral de Notre Dame Saint Jacques en Reims . Además, fue moderador de las parroquias del Espace missionnaire Sedan-Yvois y capellán de los Equipes du Rosaire de la archidiócesis metropolitana de Reims .
En 2024 regresó a la República Democrática del Congo para completar sus estudios de doctorado en la Université Catholique du Congo en Kinshasa.

Ciudad del Vaticano – El Santo Padre Francisco, el 15 de abril de 2025, ha nombrado obispo de la diócesis de Molegbe al reverendo padre Joseph Mopepe Ngongo, doctorando en Teología por la Université Catholique du Congo.S.E. Mons. Joseph Mopepe Ngongo nació el 15 de julio de 1966 en Gemena, diócesis de Molegbe. Ingresó en el Seminario Propedeutico San Francisco de Asís de Katokoli, estudió Filosofía en el Seminario Mayor San Juan Bautista de Bamanya y Teología en la Universidad Católica del Congo. Fue ordenado sacerdote el 19 de marzo de 1995.Ha desempeñado los siguientes cargos y realizado estudios adicionales: Licenciatura en Teología en la Université Catholique du Congo ; Formador y Rector del Seminario Mayor Interdiocesano Saint Pierre et Saint Paul en Lisala.En 2011 comenzó a estudiar un doctorado en Francia, donde al mismo tiempo fue vicario de la catedral de Notre Dame Saint Jacques en Reims . Además, fue moderador de las parroquias del Espace missionnaire Sedan-Yvois y capellán de los Equipes du Rosaire de la archidiócesis metropolitana de Reims .En 2024 regresó a la República Democrática del Congo para completar sus estudios de doctorado en la Université Catholique du Congo en Kinshasa. 

Fides News – EnglishAFRICA/DR CONGO – In war-torn Kivu the Bishop of Butembo-Beni urges the faithful not to lose faith​

Kinshasa – “We must never lose faith, whatever happens to us. Even when everything seems dark, God never abandons us,” urged Msgr. Melchisédech Sikuli Paluku, Bishop of Butembo-Beni, during Palm Sunday Mass.
Msgr. Sikuli expressed his compassion for the often forgotten victims of the war in Kivu and called on Christians to become witnesses of hope, stating that “evil will not have the last word in history”.
The area of Butembo and Beni in North Kivu is still in the hands of the Congolese government, after M23 rebels captured the provincial capital, Goma .
The war in North and South Kivu continues sowing death and destruction. At least 50 people died in Goma on the night of 11-12 April in a series of fighting that affected some neighbourhoods in the western part of the city.
The M23 and the Congolese army accuse each other for the massacre of civilians. According to local sources, the fighting erupted when a group of Wazalendo attempted a raid to regain control of the city.
The problem of the control of the Wazalendo militiamen is also felt in the neighbouring province of South Kivu, whose capital, Bukavu, was conquered by the M23 in mid-February .
According to a report sent to Fides by the local civil society association ACMEJ in the areas of South Kivu not occupied by the M23, the inhabitants are worried by the indiscriminate shooting carried out by Wazalendo militiamen and government soldiers who have come to protect them from the rebels. The problem is especially felt in the Ruzizi and Uvira plains. “ACMEJ facilitators have contacted a number of sources in the Ruzizi and Uvira Plain: all of them say that firing by security forces or security officers must first be banned, while M23 and its allies and Rwandan soldiers have not yet arrived,” the report states. The shootings originate from disputes between the different forces that should be allies in fighting the M23. The ACMEJ makes two observations in this regard. The first is that there is a need to harmonize the different self-defence groups that have come to the area from other parts of the province. The second is that mutual mistrust between the defenders persists due to proven cases of defection especially among regular army soldiers in favour of the M23.

Kinshasa – “We must never lose faith, whatever happens to us. Even when everything seems dark, God never abandons us,” urged Msgr. Melchisédech Sikuli Paluku, Bishop of Butembo-Beni, during Palm Sunday Mass. Msgr. Sikuli expressed his compassion for the often forgotten victims of the war in Kivu and called on Christians to become witnesses of hope, stating that “evil will not have the last word in history”.The area of Butembo and Beni in North Kivu is still in the hands of the Congolese government, after M23 rebels captured the provincial capital, Goma .The war in North and South Kivu continues sowing death and destruction. At least 50 people died in Goma on the night of 11-12 April in a series of fighting that affected some neighbourhoods in the western part of the city.The M23 and the Congolese army accuse each other for the massacre of civilians. According to local sources, the fighting erupted when a group of Wazalendo attempted a raid to regain control of the city.The problem of the control of the Wazalendo militiamen is also felt in the neighbouring province of South Kivu, whose capital, Bukavu, was conquered by the M23 in mid-February .According to a report sent to Fides by the local civil society association ACMEJ in the areas of South Kivu not occupied by the M23, the inhabitants are worried by the indiscriminate shooting carried out by Wazalendo militiamen and government soldiers who have come to protect them from the rebels. The problem is especially felt in the Ruzizi and Uvira plains. “ACMEJ facilitators have contacted a number of sources in the Ruzizi and Uvira Plain: all of them say that firing by security forces or security officers must first be banned, while M23 and its allies and Rwandan soldiers have not yet arrived,” the report states. The shootings originate from disputes between the different forces that should be allies in fighting the M23. The ACMEJ makes two observations in this regard. The first is that there is a need to harmonize the different self-defence groups that have come to the area from other parts of the province. The second is that mutual mistrust between the defenders persists due to proven cases of defection especially among regular army soldiers in favour of the M23. 

Fides News – EnglishAFRICA/DR CONGO – Without electricity and water: Catholic parish in Goma welcomes 2000 displaced people​

Kinshasa – “The greatest danger for the population of Goma is the so-called ‘Wazalendo’ militiamen,” local church observers told Fides about the situation in the capital of the Congolese province of North Kivu, which has fallen into the hands of the M23 rebel movement supported by the Rwandan army.
The so-called “Wazalendo” are members of pro-government militias who are fighting alongside the regular army against the advance of the M23. While most of the regular soldiers surrendered after the capture of Goma or turned themselves over to the MONUSCO Blue Helmets, the “Wazalendo” militiamen went into hiding.
“The Wazalendo are breaking into the homes of ordinary people in search of food, which is a problem for everyone given the shortage of supplies. If they do not find anything to loot, they threaten to take their children away. And it is easy to imagine what they can do to women and girls,” the observers report. “M23 members and Rwandans are trying to restore order. At the moment, there are reports of occasional shootings near the airport.”
“The humanitarian situation in Goma remains difficult because there is no electricity and no water pumped and filtered from Lake Kivu. Without electricity, the pumps and sewage treatment plants do not work. The most difficult conditions are for the displaced people . In the parish of Saint Francis Xavier in Ndosho, a suburb on the outskirts of the city, around 2,000 displaced people live without water and in precarious conditions; in addition, there are around 1,600 people housed in the nearby school,” the observers report. Meanwhile, the rebels are slowly advancing towards Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province. “The M23 units are 115 km from the city, but are advancing slowly as they still suffer heavy losses,” the sources said. “In recent days, ambulances have been travelling between Goma and Rwanda to bring the remains of the soldiers who fell on the streets of the city to their families and to ensure a dignified burial, as otherwise they would have ended up in mass graves that are currently being dug.
In addition, it is slowly getting hot in Goma and this is another reason why it is urgent to bury the bodies lying on the streets.” “In Bukavu, the situation remains calm for the moment after the withdrawal of foreign aid workers , but people live in uncertainty,” the observers concluded. Meanwhile, Burundian soldiers have also been sent by the government in Bujumbura to support the Congolese forces. On the political level, yesterday, January 30, Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance, held a press conference in Goma, where he reiterated his will to march to Kinshasa to overthrow President Félix Tshisekedi. The British Embassy in Kinshasa, meanwhile, issued a communiqué in English and French condemning the occupation of Goma by the M23 rebel movement and the Rwandan army, and threatening a possible cessation of UK support to Rwanda if hostilities do not cease.
Kinshasa – “The greatest danger for the population of Goma is the so-called ‘Wazalendo’ militiamen,” local church observers told Fides about the situation in the capital of the Congolese province of North Kivu, which has fallen into the hands of the M23 rebel movement supported by the Rwandan army. The so-called “Wazalendo” are members of pro-government militias who are fighting alongside the regular army against the advance of the M23. While most of the regular soldiers surrendered after the capture of Goma or turned themselves over to the MONUSCO Blue Helmets, the “Wazalendo” militiamen went into hiding. “The Wazalendo are breaking into the homes of ordinary people in search of food, which is a problem for everyone given the shortage of supplies. If they do not find anything to loot, they threaten to take their children away. And it is easy to imagine what they can do to women and girls,” the observers report. “M23 members and Rwandans are trying to restore order. At the moment, there are reports of occasional shootings near the airport.” “The humanitarian situation in Goma remains difficult because there is no electricity and no water pumped and filtered from Lake Kivu. Without electricity, the pumps and sewage treatment plants do not work. The most difficult conditions are for the displaced people . In the parish of Saint Francis Xavier in Ndosho, a suburb on the outskirts of the city, around 2,000 displaced people live without water and in precarious conditions; in addition, there are around 1,600 people housed in the nearby school,” the observers report. Meanwhile, the rebels are slowly advancing towards Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province. “The M23 units are 115 km from the city, but are advancing slowly as they still suffer heavy losses,” the sources said. “In recent days, ambulances have been travelling between Goma and Rwanda to bring the remains of the soldiers who fell on the streets of the city to their families and to ensure a dignified burial, as otherwise they would have ended up in mass graves that are currently being dug. In addition, it is slowly getting hot in Goma and this is another reason why it is urgent to bury the bodies lying on the streets.” “In Bukavu, the situation remains calm for the moment after the withdrawal of foreign aid workers , but people live in uncertainty,” the observers concluded. Meanwhile, Burundian soldiers have also been sent by the government in Bujumbura to support the Congolese forces. On the political level, yesterday, January 30, Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance, held a press conference in Goma, where he reiterated his will to march to Kinshasa to overthrow President Félix Tshisekedi. The British Embassy in Kinshasa, meanwhile, issued a communiqué in English and French condemning the occupation of Goma by the M23 rebel movement and the Rwandan army, and threatening a possible cessation of UK support to Rwanda if hostilities do not cease. 

Fides News – EnglishAFRICA/DR CONGO – “Foreigners leave Bukavu: fears of advance of the M23 rebel movement on the capital of South Kivu province”​

Kinshasa – “In Bukavu, foreigners are fleeing,” missionaries from the capital of the Congolese province of South Kivu tell Fides. “The various embassies in Kinshasa have ordered their compatriots to leave the city because they fear that the M23 rebels could conquer it after taking control of Goma and the province of North Kivu,” the observers say. “Important departments of international organizations of the United Nations and various international non-governmental organizations are based in Bukavu. Now the foreign staff of these organizations are being evacuated via Rwanda.” “Currently, the rebel troops are already in Nyabibwe, in the Kalehe area of South Kivu,” the observers say. “It is a mountainous peak and if you go down to the south you are 25 km from the shores of Lake Kivu; from there you can easily reach Bukavu.” “The movements of the M23 units are facilitated by the means made available to them by the Rwandan army, which transported new off-road vehicles to Goma by barge, which were handed over to the rebels,” the observers added. Nyabibwe is home to a mine that extracts coltan and cassiterite, two of the strategic minerals that are the subject of the ongoing war involving local and regional actors backed by world powers and multinational mining companies.
Meanwhile, the situation in Goma, which was captured by Rwandan troops and the M23 rebels they support, is stabilizing. The M23 rebels have organized the first patrols in the city to reassure the population and fight pockets of resistance from the Congolese army and the pro-government “Wazalendo” militiamen.
“The rebels are trying to portray themselves as ‘liberators’ against what they call ‘the repressive regime in Kinshasa’: they are therefore trying to ensure a minimum of order and services for the population of the city they have conquered,” the observers report. As Corneille Nangaa, the leader of the Congo River Alliance, explained, the guerrillas’ goal is to march on the capital Kinshasa to overthrow President Félix Tshisekedi. “It seems like we have gone back about thirty years, when the guerrillas began their triumphal march at the end of 1996, which began in the east of the country and overthrew Mobutu in Kinshasa in the spring of 1997. But at that time the guerrillas, supported by Rwanda and Uganda, were also supported by other foreign powers. Now we must see what international interests are at work today,” commented the observers. To counter the rebels’ advance, President Tshisekedi has meanwhile ordered general mobilization and called on former soldiers and young people to join the army.
Kinshasa – “In Bukavu, foreigners are fleeing,” missionaries from the capital of the Congolese province of South Kivu tell Fides. “The various embassies in Kinshasa have ordered their compatriots to leave the city because they fear that the M23 rebels could conquer it after taking control of Goma and the province of North Kivu,” the observers say. “Important departments of international organizations of the United Nations and various international non-governmental organizations are based in Bukavu. Now the foreign staff of these organizations are being evacuated via Rwanda.” “Currently, the rebel troops are already in Nyabibwe, in the Kalehe area of South Kivu,” the observers say. “It is a mountainous peak and if you go down to the south you are 25 km from the shores of Lake Kivu; from there you can easily reach Bukavu.” “The movements of the M23 units are facilitated by the means made available to them by the Rwandan army, which transported new off-road vehicles to Goma by barge, which were handed over to the rebels,” the observers added. Nyabibwe is home to a mine that extracts coltan and cassiterite, two of the strategic minerals that are the subject of the ongoing war involving local and regional actors backed by world powers and multinational mining companies. Meanwhile, the situation in Goma, which was captured by Rwandan troops and the M23 rebels they support, is stabilizing. The M23 rebels have organized the first patrols in the city to reassure the population and fight pockets of resistance from the Congolese army and the pro-government “Wazalendo” militiamen. “The rebels are trying to portray themselves as ‘liberators’ against what they call ‘the repressive regime in Kinshasa’: they are therefore trying to ensure a minimum of order and services for the population of the city they have conquered,” the observers report. As Corneille Nangaa, the leader of the Congo River Alliance, explained, the guerrillas’ goal is to march on the capital Kinshasa to overthrow President Félix Tshisekedi. “It seems like we have gone back about thirty years, when the guerrillas began their triumphal march at the end of 1996, which began in the east of the country and overthrew Mobutu in Kinshasa in the spring of 1997. But at that time the guerrillas, supported by Rwanda and Uganda, were also supported by other foreign powers. Now we must see what international interests are at work today,” commented the observers. To counter the rebels’ advance, President Tshisekedi has meanwhile ordered general mobilization and called on former soldiers and young people to join the army. 

Fides News – EnglishAFRICA/DR CONGO – “Did the flight of the military leadership facilitate the capture of Goma?”​

Kinshasa – “In Goma there are 2 million people in need,” local Church sources, who asked not to be named for security reasons, told Fides. “At least a million of them are displaced from other areas of North Kivu previously affected by the war.”
On the capture of the capital of North Kivu by the M23 troops supported by Rwanda, the observers report: “The collapse of the Congolese army began on Sunday evening, when the commanders left the city on several boats, heading from the port of Goma on Lake Kivu to Bukavu , about 100 kilometers away. From there, the military leaders boarded a plane that took them to Kinshasa. The troops, which no longer had a commander, were faced with well-equipped M23 rebels and soldiers of the Rwandan army. The M23 rebels and the Rwandans quickly took over the city’s main points: the center, the port and the airport. Several Congolese soldiers surrendered to the rebels or handed themselves over to the MONUSCO peacekeepers.” “The conquest of Goma was bloody, with several dead, many of whom are still lying in the streets of the city. There are at least a thousand injured, which is putting additional pressure on the health system, which is overwhelmed by the lack of water, electricity, food and medicine,” the observers continued.
Today, January 29, “the situation in Goma appears to be calming down, although isolated shootings have been reported in some districts,” the observers continued. “But food warehouses, including that of the World Food Programme , and markets have been looted. There is a lack of electricity because the high-voltage pylons have been knocked down; As a result, there is a shortage of water, which is pumped from Lake Kivu and then purified in special plants that cannot function without electricity. The plundering of supplies and the interruption of deliveries from the surrounding area have led to a food shortage that is becoming more dramatic by the hour.” On the political level, Corneille Nangaa, the leader of the Congo River Alliance, which also includes the M23 movement, announced that they intended to overthrow the government in Kinshasa. “This had already happened in 1997, when rebels supported by Rwanda and Uganda, starting from the east of what was then Zaire, took Kinshasa and forced then President Mobutu to flee,” our observers said. It is suspected “that the M23 will march on Bukavu, trying to cause as few casualties as possible, because Nangaa is a Congolese politician who is trying to exploit the discontent among the soldiers who feel betrayed by their commanders; among other things, despite the army’s spending, the soldiers are poorly equipped and do not even have the right clothing to face the cold, bearing in mind that we are here at an altitude of 1,500 to 1,700 meters,” the observers conclude.
Corneille Nangaa was president of the Independent National Electoral Commission from 2015 to 2021, but was sentenced to death for treason in August 2024 after founding the Congo River Alliance in 2023.
Kinshasa – “In Goma there are 2 million people in need,” local Church sources, who asked not to be named for security reasons, told Fides. “At least a million of them are displaced from other areas of North Kivu previously affected by the war.” On the capture of the capital of North Kivu by the M23 troops supported by Rwanda, the observers report: “The collapse of the Congolese army began on Sunday evening, when the commanders left the city on several boats, heading from the port of Goma on Lake Kivu to Bukavu , about 100 kilometers away. From there, the military leaders boarded a plane that took them to Kinshasa. The troops, which no longer had a commander, were faced with well-equipped M23 rebels and soldiers of the Rwandan army. The M23 rebels and the Rwandans quickly took over the city’s main points: the center, the port and the airport. Several Congolese soldiers surrendered to the rebels or handed themselves over to the MONUSCO peacekeepers.” “The conquest of Goma was bloody, with several dead, many of whom are still lying in the streets of the city. There are at least a thousand injured, which is putting additional pressure on the health system, which is overwhelmed by the lack of water, electricity, food and medicine,” the observers continued. Today, January 29, “the situation in Goma appears to be calming down, although isolated shootings have been reported in some districts,” the observers continued. “But food warehouses, including that of the World Food Programme , and markets have been looted. There is a lack of electricity because the high-voltage pylons have been knocked down; As a result, there is a shortage of water, which is pumped from Lake Kivu and then purified in special plants that cannot function without electricity. The plundering of supplies and the interruption of deliveries from the surrounding area have led to a food shortage that is becoming more dramatic by the hour.” On the political level, Corneille Nangaa, the leader of the Congo River Alliance, which also includes the M23 movement, announced that they intended to overthrow the government in Kinshasa. “This had already happened in 1997, when rebels supported by Rwanda and Uganda, starting from the east of what was then Zaire, took Kinshasa and forced then President Mobutu to flee,” our observers said. It is suspected “that the M23 will march on Bukavu, trying to cause as few casualties as possible, because Nangaa is a Congolese politician who is trying to exploit the discontent among the soldiers who feel betrayed by their commanders; among other things, despite the army’s spending, the soldiers are poorly equipped and do not even have the right clothing to face the cold, bearing in mind that we are here at an altitude of 1,500 to 1,700 meters,” the observers conclude.Corneille Nangaa was president of the Independent National Electoral Commission from 2015 to 2021, but was sentenced to death for treason in August 2024 after founding the Congo River Alliance in 2023. 

Fides News – EnglishAFRICA/DR CONGO – Bishop of Goma: “The neonatal ward at the Charité Maternelle General Hospital is affected by fighting”​

Kinshasa – Fighting continues in Goma, the capital of North Kivu, which the M23 rebels took over between Sunday 26 and Monday 27 January . The M23 forces are encountering resistance from soldiers of the Congolese armed forces and pro-government Wazalando militiamen. Four other South African soldiers from the Southern African Development Community Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo were killed in the clashes, after nine soldiers had already been killed in the last two days. The clashes are concentrated in the area of the airport, which has now also been taken over by the M23.
The situation in the city remains chaotic. There are fighting, power and communication outages and looting. Residents are fleeing the city. The World Food Programme has meanwhile expressed concern about the suspension of the distribution of humanitarian aid in the region, which could lead to severe food shortages in the next 24 hours. In a message published yesterday, January 27, the Bishop of Goma, Willy Ngumbi Ngengele, reported “I am horrified to learn of the bombings, including those targeting the neonatal department of the Charité Maternelle General Hospital, resulting in the deaths of newborns, and the attack on the diocesan procuracy compound, which shattered the windows of the newly inaugurated building”. “I deplore the looting of certain businesses and warehouses by the population and, at times, by the military, further worsening an already dire humanitarian situation,” wrote the Bishop of Goma. “I urge all parties involved in the current armed conflict, as well as the population, to show absolute respect for human life and for private and public infrastructure, which must be preserved by all under any circumstances, in accordance with human dignity and international law” continues Mgr. Ngumbi Ngengele. The Bishop concludes by urging “the Clergy, Consecrated Persons, as well as the faithful, and all people of goodwill, to provide the necessary assistance to anyone in need”. Meanwhile, demonstrations are taking place in Kinshasa against the “invasion of Rwanda in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.”
Kinshasa – Fighting continues in Goma, the capital of North Kivu, which the M23 rebels took over between Sunday 26 and Monday 27 January . The M23 forces are encountering resistance from soldiers of the Congolese armed forces and pro-government Wazalando militiamen. Four other South African soldiers from the Southern African Development Community Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo were killed in the clashes, after nine soldiers had already been killed in the last two days. The clashes are concentrated in the area of the airport, which has now also been taken over by the M23. The situation in the city remains chaotic. There are fighting, power and communication outages and looting. Residents are fleeing the city. The World Food Programme has meanwhile expressed concern about the suspension of the distribution of humanitarian aid in the region, which could lead to severe food shortages in the next 24 hours. In a message published yesterday, January 27, the Bishop of Goma, Willy Ngumbi Ngengele, reported “I am horrified to learn of the bombings, including those targeting the neonatal department of the Charité Maternelle General Hospital, resulting in the deaths of newborns, and the attack on the diocesan procuracy compound, which shattered the windows of the newly inaugurated building”. “I deplore the looting of certain businesses and warehouses by the population and, at times, by the military, further worsening an already dire humanitarian situation,” wrote the Bishop of Goma. “I urge all parties involved in the current armed conflict, as well as the population, to show absolute respect for human life and for private and public infrastructure, which must be preserved by all under any circumstances, in accordance with human dignity and international law” continues Mgr. Ngumbi Ngengele. The Bishop concludes by urging “the Clergy, Consecrated Persons, as well as the faithful, and all people of goodwill, to provide the necessary assistance to anyone in need”. Meanwhile, demonstrations are taking place in Kinshasa against the “invasion of Rwanda in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.”