AFRICA/DR CONGO - Youth from Bukavu appeal to major powers: “Stop provoking wars and massacres in Congo”

Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) - "You who have the power to provoke war, please stop fueling it in our country," is the appeal addressed to the major powers by 40 young people from Bukavu, the capital of the Congolese province of South Kivu, which was captured on February 16 by the M23 rebels with the support of Rwandan troops (see Fides, 17/2/2025).
In the appeal, which was sent to Fides, the young people point out the hypocrisy of those who, behind the scenes, are fueling the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo with the help of Rwanda. "You are using this small and poor country, Rwanda, to exterminate the Congolese in Kivu and plunder their natural resources. You pretend to be humanitarians who help us with food, while you are the ones causing wars and bloodshed in our region."
Under the pretext of fighting the Rwandan rebel group FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, heirs of the old regime responsible for the 1994 massacres), and protecting the Rwandan-speaking population in the province, Rwanda has been intervening in North and South Kivu for decades, either directly with its own troops or indirectly by supporting armed militias like the M23. All this with the aim of taking possession of Congolese natural resources (which are then exported from Rwanda to international markets and sold to the world's high-tech industries), as the youth of Bukavu emphasize in their letter. "If you want to profit from our mineral resources, then come, but respect human life. Why are we being persecuted in this way?" the appeal reads. "You call us for dialogue, but how can we do that if you are after our wealth? Join the Congolese who seek a unity in peace and respect for every human being. Do not buy the minerals that have been plundered from our land, do not buy the blood of the Congolese."
The letter concludes with an appeal to "our young brothers and sisters in the country": "One God, the Father of all, who sees us all as his children, loves us without discrimination and desires our happiness and peace, not tribulation. Where do wars, divisions, and hatred come from? From the selfishness of people who pursue their own interests and have lost their sense of good. The world is passing quickly; we came into the world empty-handed, and we will leave it empty-handed. To create peace, we need love, forgiveness, dialogue, understanding, and reconciliation."
"In these difficult times, only God remains for us," the young people conclude. "We are not afraid: God has never failed. Let us hold hands. Let us be careful what we say in public and not betray our country by joining the invaders for money. Together we will find a way to send them back to their land. Let us stand together so that we are not dependent on the countries that plunder our natural resources."
(L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 5/4/2025)

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