Religious leaders end Kinshasa meeting

The national consultation convened by religious leaders in Kinshasa as a “preparatory meeting” for the national debate, stipulated in the Lusaka agreements, ended on Saturday. Participants issued a communique in which they reiterated that the Congolese people were sovereign and aspired to live in peace, DRC state television reported. They condemned the “war of aggression and invasion of our national territory”. They also condemned the “massive killing of Congolese, the looting of natural resources and the destruction of our economic and social infrastructure, and the destruction of our environment”.

They appealed to the unarmed opposition to remain tolerant and work towards reconciliation and stop boycotting consultations. Participants also called on civil society members to “fully play their catalyst role of advisers, cultural and socio-economic actors”. “We therefore call on our brothers and sisters of the armed opposition to have a sense of patriotism, to immediately lay down their arms, and to dissociate themselves from the enemies of our people,” the statement said. “We call on the government to take into consideration the yearnings of the Congolese people as expressed during the national consultations, and to create a conducive environment for the holding of the national debate.”