The Episcopal Conference of Congo Kinshasa (CENCO) asks the Congolese Head of State, Félix Tshisekedi, to give priority to the well-being of the population in the search for a political solution.
Congolese President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi, during his seventh day of national consultations, following a political crisis in his country, received the Bishops’ Conference of Congo (CENCO) on Monday, November 9. A memorandum was handed over to him on this occasion. For the Catholic Bishops of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the primacy of the population must be considered in any search for a political solution.
“No political compromise can be above the requirement for the political power to do everything possible to ensure the well-being of the population,” reads the second page of this 4-page document. The Bishops add other principles to be considered, namely “respect for the constitution, national security, territorial integrity, stability of the state and its institutions, social peace, the rule of law and democracy.”
Concerning the resolution of the crisis, the Congolese Bishops propose two ways. The first is the evaluation of the coalition. “We urge you to seriously evaluate the content of the agreement that regulates the coalition and the functioning of the coalition to see if there is a possibility of an internal revolution,” they suggest. If not, they ask the Head of State to take his responsibilities.
The second path is the reform of the Electoral Commission. The latter should be depoliticized and enjoy independence of its members.
President Félix Tshisekedi had revealed the existence of “deep differences” with his partner, Joseph Kabila last October. On this occasion, he announced political consultations to try to get out of this situation.
Gérard Rugambwa
