Overshadowed by the Middle East, the 12 days war between Israel and Iran and the US devastation of nuclear sites, a peace deal offers new hope for Africa.
The Peace Agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Republic of Rwanda was signed in the White House on June 29 in the presence of the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. If it holds it will offer hope to millions in Eastern Congo, site of a devasting war with rebels backed by Rwanda. (Rwanda officially denies backing the rebels.)
“The agreement marks a breakthrough in talks held by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration and aims to attract billions of dollars of Western investment to a region rich in tantalum, gold, cobalt, copper, lithium and other minerals,” Reuters reported.
The pain experience by citizens is outlined in a report via Anglican Ink by the Anglican Bishop of Goma, a city of some 780,000 people sheltering an additional 500,000 dispolaced people. “It is more than 4 months since the M23 rebels took the city of Goma with the help of the Rwandan army. Since then there are more and more reports surfacing of the atrocities committed across the city. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty are the most recent in-depth reports.
“The individual stories of pain and trauma still surface relentlessly. Too many people have seen friends and relatives killed in front of them. A friend phoned a physiotherapist last week only to be told that her home had been attacked the night before and she would’t be available as she would be burying her relatives. Yesterday a colleague told me that his brother, a taxi-driver, was shot dead by the rebels early on Saturday evening.
“An uneasy calm has descended on the city. There are fewer reports of kidnappings, fewer shots fired at night, fewer arbitrary beatings. The rebels are attempting to govern – opening institutions and levying taxes. But the once-vibrant city feels subdued. Cafés and restaurants have either closed or have only a handful of customers. Shops sells less than half what they used to. There are far fewer cars on the streets. The banks are still closed. As are the courts…”
“In one of the fastest growing cities of the world, known for enrepreneurship and vision and energy, people simply wait. Wait for things to change, wait for outside help, wait for promised peace deals, wait for a better future. NBC recently did a good short report about what is at stake with the US minerals deal.”
The Bishop reports that a week of evangelism in May saw many turn to Christ. “This Pentecost Sunday I had the joy of confirming 72 believers in another parish, with many more from others parishes waiting their turn. Our head of evangelism is talking of a spiritual awakening in Goma. We are certainly seeing an openness and receptivity, where the church is seen by many as the one remaining institution that they can still trust.”
The Peace deal requires Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to respect each others territory, and sets up a joint security mechanism.
“In parallel with the peace agreements, the Trump administration intends to sign a mining agreement with the Congolese government, Agenzia Fides reported. “The problem is that several of the most important Congolese mines are located in North and South Kivu, provinces no longer controlled by the government in Kinshasa, but by the AFC/M23 [the main rebels]. “Furthermore, almost all Congolese mines are controlled by Chinese companies,” states the latest report by the Peace Network for Congo.
Image: refugee camp near Goma Image Credit: Andy Dunaway / Picryl