CENCO Statement, June 2017

CENCO Statement, June 2017

This statement issued by the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) during its 54th Ordinary Plenary Assembly in Kinshasa (19–23 June 2017). The message addresses the worsening situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and calls for urgent action.

Key Points

The Country is in Crisis

• Socio-economic collapse:
  • Severe economic deterioration: declining growth, currency depreciation, inflation, and poor business climate.
  • Rampant corruption, tax evasion, and embezzlement of public funds.
  • Drastic drop in purchasing power; widespread poverty, malnutrition, lack of healthcare and education, unpaid salaries, and youth unemployment fueling social unrest.
• Security and humanitarian crisis:
  • Widespread insecurity and human rights violations.
  • Grand Kasaï conflict: ~3,383 deaths, 30 mass graves, over 1 million displaced, 30,000 refugees in Angola.
  • Destruction of churches, schools, health centers, and villages.
  • Presence of foreign armed groups (LRA, ADF NALU, etc.) and Mbororo herders raising fears of balkanization.
• Human rights violations:
  • Increasing restrictions on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
  • Arbitrary arrests of activists and opposition figures; impunity for perpetrators.
  • Political climate marked by repression instead of dialogue.

Root Cause of the Crisis

• Failure to organize elections as mandated by the Constitution.
• Non-implementation of the 31 December 2016 Agreement (Accord de la Saint-Sylvestre) due to lack of political will.
• Risk of national implosion if inclusive solutions are not applied.

Call to Action

• Citizens urged to reject fear and fatalism, take responsibility, and engage actively in civic and political life.
• Promote civic and electoral education; demand full implementation of the Saint-Sylvestre Agreement.
• Organize peaceful actions to ensure elections (presidential, legislative, provincial) occur before December 2017.
• Condemn all violence and call for investigations into atrocities in Grand Kasaï.
• Spiritual mobilization: prayer and fasting starting 30 June for peace and solidarity with conflict victims.

MESSAGE_DE_L-ASSEMBLEE_PLENIERE_DES_EVEQUES_DE_LA_CENCO-JUIN_20.pdf