September 2, 2011

GENEVA – Lutheran leaders in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have expressed fears that November elections will heighten tensions in the African nation, while pledging to continue to work for peace.

"We hope things will stabilize. There is one problem that when we have elections, then there is instability," said Bishop Victor Bwanangela of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Congo (ELCC), who is from Kivu.

"We need stronger national leadership, because we have a lot of corruption in our country. The situation is getting better, but if you compare us to other countries, things are not good here," Bwanangela added in an interview with LWI during a visit to the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) offices in Geneva.

War ravaged Congo for many years after independence in 1960, and then it flared up again in the 1990s with immense toll on millions of people.

ELCC Presiding Bishop Mwamba Sumaili noted that there were still many spots where the violence persisted and bandits roamed with armies of their own. "It's especially bad in both north and south Kivu where rebels from Rwanda continue to rape women and kill men," he added.

The United Nations, along with aid agencies including faith-based ones within the ACT Alliance, of which the LWF is a founding member, were vital lifelines for millions of people in the conflict-ridden eastern areas of the country, the Lutheran bishops noted.

Potential for More Violence

There are fears that the DRC's election scheduled for 28 November, only the second poll since the country obtained independence from Belgium, could spread violence to more areas. Many doubt that the government can ensure a free, fair and peaceful vote.

The South African-based Institute of Security Studies reported on 10 August that tension had increased in the country in the months running up to the elections.

"The altering of the electoral system in January 2011 resulted in the scrapping of the second round of elections, and has been the biggest blow for opposition parties aspiring to the presidency," it noted.

An added frustration for political opposition had been the rumor of irregularities within the Independent Electoral Commission (CENI), which augmented the possibility of vote rigging by the ruling party, it said.

Emile Mpanya, DRC country representative for the LWF's Department for World Service, told LWI, "We are preparing an ACT Alliance appeal for funds from DWS to make people more aware of pitfalls before the election. Past history has taught us that the situation is now very dangerous because as we get closer to the elections some politicians stir up the fears of the people."

Sexual and Gender-based Violence

Rape is a particular concern. In 2008, the UN Security Council passed a strong resolution to combat the use of rape in war. Then in July 2011, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay, highlighted a UN report released on mass rapes and other human rights violations committed in North Kivu.

Bwanangela said, "These warring groups use rape to sow mayhem and distrust, forcing people to flee rural villages to head for larger towns."

DWS runs a program in the DRC that organizes activities designed to help survivors of sexual violence and others traumatized by war-related violence to recover from their experiences and rebuild their lives. Churches Remain Strong

The ELCC has five dioceses in the DRC, a country the size of Western Europe and the world's largest francophone nation.

"The church in the DRC is growing," Sumaili said of the 136,000-member church, which joined the LWF in 1986. "Where there is war, churches often grow in strength. People come to us for help."

Bwanangela added, "Our country is so big and the number of pastors is not enough. In some village areas we can't train the people but the pastors have to function there and give the people spiritual sustenance."

Lutheran World Information
Written for LWI by Peter Kenny in Geneva.