A delegation of Catholic and Protestant Church leaders from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) met with Kenyan President William Ruto on Tuesday as part of ongoing consultations aimed at finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict in eastern DRC.

The delegation included representatives from the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) and the Church of Christ in Congo (ECC). Their meeting with President Ruto in Nairobi is part of a series of discussions to lay the groundwork for a regional dialogue for peace in eastern Congo.

Monsignor Donatien Nshole, Secretary General of CENCO, confirmed the meeting and noted that the delegation also planned to meet former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is the mediator of the Nairobi Peace Process for the conflict. Kenya currently chairs the East African Community (EAC), an eight-nation regional bloc, enhancing its role in regional peace efforts.

The religious delegation has been actively engaging regional leaders. On Friday, they met with Rwandan President Paul Kagame to mediate tensions related to the conflict. Earlier meetings in Kinshasa included discussions with DRC President Félix Tshisekedi, National Assembly Speaker Vital Kamerhe, and Opposition Leader Martin Fayulu.

On Wednesday, the religious mediators met with Corneille Nangaa, the rebel leader of the Congo River Coalition (AFC-M23), which includes the March 23 Movement (M23). This meeting occurred in Goma, the capital of North Kivu Province, captured by M23 rebels on January 27 during an offensive that resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths and around 2,900 injuries, according to the UN.

Church leaders advocate for a comprehensive national dialogue involving all parties, including M23, to find lasting solutions. However, President Tshisekedi’s government opposes including M23 in the negotiations.

M23 is composed mainly of Tutsi fighters who survived the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Tensions with Rwanda have escalated as the DRC government accuses Rwanda of supporting M23, a claim supported by the UN. Conversely, Rwanda and M23 accuse the Congolese Army of collaborating with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a group formed in 2000 by leaders of the Rwandan genocide and exiled Rwandans seeking to regain political power in Rwanda. The UN has also corroborated this collaboration.

M23’s armed activities resumed in November 2021, with rapid attacks against the Congolese Army in North Kivu. The rebels have advanced on multiple fronts, capturing Goma, a strategic city with 2 million residents, housing numerous international NGOs and UN institutions, and Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu Province, with over 1 million residents.

Since 1998, Eastern DRC has been mired in conflict involving rebel militias and the national army, despite the presence of the UN peacekeeping mission (MONUSCO).

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