The National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) has criticized this Sunday the «hypocrisy» exhibited by the international community during its march for peace in the east of the country by criticizing the «complicity» it exhibits with its «complacency towards multinationals and predatory countries» of the natural resources of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Thousands of faithful and even the Congolese opposition leader Martin Fayulu have marked today to make an appeal for peace in the region of North Kivu, in the east of the country, right now scene of a precarious cease-fire between the Congolese Army and the rebels of the March 23 Movement (M23), which has generated an exodus of population and a diplomatic conflict with Rwanda, accused of supporting the militias, something that the Government of Kigali categorically denies.
In the framework of a summit in the Angolan capital, Luanda, to advance in the normalization of diplomatic relations, DRC and Rwanda agreed on a cease-fire last Friday, as well as a withdrawal of M23 from the recently conquered areas in the province.
The new round of talks in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, which kicked off on Monday, comes after the rebel group said it accepts in principle the agreement for a cessation of hostilities in North Kivu province, although it warned that it reserves any right to respond to any attack.
«The international community shows a hypocritical and complacent attitude that borders on complicity», denounced CENCO in a message read at the end of the march by the priest Paul Mateta, parish priest of the church of St. Mark in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, «and its responsibility is clearly put in a compromise by its complacency towards multinationals and countries that are predators of our natural resources, and that seek the balkanization of our country».
CENCO has not only singled out Rwanda for sheltering the «terrorists» of the M23, but has also denounced the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Belgium, and even «certain international organizations such as the UN and its mission in the country, MONUSCO, the European Union and others who do not play fair», according to the communiqué published by the portals Actualité and 7sur7.
The Congolese religious declared that «territorial integrity and national sovereignty are non-negotiable» and defended that the Congolese State «fully play its sovereign role» when demanding the withdrawal of MONUSCO from the country, as threatened on several occasions by the President of the DRC, Felix Tshisekedi.
