Congo: Bishops oppose rebel drive to divide country

July 10, 2012

The Catholic bishops of the Democratic Republic of Congo have issued a statement opposing a bid to divide the country politically.

"No to the balkanization of Congo. No to the division of the country," the bishops insisted. “The integrity of national territory is not negotiable.”

The bishops’ statement was a reference to fighting in the eastern Kivu provinces, where rebels backed by Rwanda have been engaged in a bloody struggle to gain control of the region, which is rich in natural resources. The Congo bishops called for “categorical rejection” of the bid for secession in Kivu.

 

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Further information:

• "The integrity of national territory is not negotiable," say the Bishops (Fides)