DR Congo: 'Unspeakable violence in Katanga'

Refugees fleeing violence

The Catholic bishops of Katanga, a province in the south of the Democratic Republic of Congo, have denounced the 'unspeakable violence' of the Bakata - Katanga armed group.

In a Pastoral Letter, published at the conclusion of the recent Episcopal Assembly of Bishops of the Ecclesiastical Province of Lubumbashi, the bishops say: "after the escape of the warlord, Kyungu Mutanda called 'Gedeon', from the prison in Kasapa, Lubumbashi in September 2011, various areas of the Katanga province have returned to a cycle of insecurity and violence that sows death among peaceful citizens and pushes thousands of others to flee. The Bishops remind that "there exists democratic means to express ones frustrations and aspirations".

The Pastoral Letter describes how young people are being brainwashed by armed groups to the point that they "ransack, rape, kill, torture and burn". As a result, thousands of refugees, have fled the region and many have died.

The natural riches of Katanga are at the root of this tragedy, which is also causing serious environmental damage: water pollution, and high levels of radioactivity, the Bishops say.

"The dramatic situation in Katanga has multiple causes: weakness of State authority, poor distribution of wealth, economic imbalance between urban and rural, frustration, impunity ... " report the Bishops, hoping that "those responsible at all levels are working to find effective solutions".

Source: Fides