DRC Catholic & Protestant Churches Meet With AFC Rebels' Coordinator Amid Peace Efforts, Reports Say

A delegation representing Catholic and Protestant churches in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO), and the Church of Christ in Congo, respectively, met with Corneille Nangaa, political coordinator of the AFC movement, to which the armed group M23 belongs, to discuss the security crisis in the east of the country, local media reported.

The delegation urged the parties to the conflict in the eastern DRC's North Kivu province to start peace talks, reports said.

"The AFC/M23, represented by Corneille Nangaa, explained to us the reasons for their actions. [...] At this stage, I can say that hearing these words motivated us even more to work towards this pact [Social Pact for Peace and Good Living in the DRC and the Great Lakes Region]. We realized that there are many things that can be solved if the Congolese sit down at the negotiating table," the Actualite portal quoted the CENCO Secretary General Donatien Nshole as saying during the meeting.

The CENCO also called on the rebel groups to open the international airport in the captured Goma city in the North Kivu province.

"It was also an opportunity to advocate for the opening of Goma's international airport and port, as well as an early end to the war, because we remain convinced that the solution to this crisis is not military," Nshole reportedly noted.

Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of the DRC closed the airspace to Rwandan aircraft for three months over the ongoing armed conflict with the M23 rebel movement, according to a Notice to Airmen issued on Wednesday, the Congolese Press Agency reported, citing sources.

"Official ban on overflights and landings in the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo for all civilian and state aircraft registered in Rwanda or registered in other countries and based in Rwanda. The reason is the insecurity due to the armed conflict," the notice read.

On Wednesday, the DRC government called for the urgent convening of a meeting of the EAC and SADC chiefs of general staff to provide technical guidance for the establishment of an immediate ceasefire and cessation of hostilities in response to the violation of the previously agreed ceasefire.

"Less than 24 hours after the aforementioned summit [SADC and EAC], Rwandan armed forces and their M23 allies bombed positions of the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) [...] in North Kivu province. [...] To discourage this recurring behavior, the government of the DRC recommends the urgent convening of the meeting of chiefs of general staff, as decided during the joint summit, to establish the monitoring and verification mechanism," read the statement.

The ongoing conflict in North Kivu will also be on the agenda at the African Union summit held in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, this week. On Friday, the African Union Peace and Security Council will reportedly hold a meeting at the level of heads of state and government to address the situation in eastern DRC.

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12 February, 13:02

Amid the escalating violence in the North Kivu province, Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye warned Rwanda that if it attacks, Burundi will respond in kind, reports said.

"The one that is going to attack us, we will ourselves attack," media quoted Ndayishimiye as saying while addressing the nation in the border town Bugabira, describing Rwanda as a "bad neighbor."

The conflict in the DRC could lead to conflagration in the whole region, Ndayishimiye previously said, expressing fear that war could even come to Burundi if Rwanda continues its conquest.

Meanwhile, thousands of people displaced by conflict in the eastern DRC are fleeing sites around Goma for safer areas, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said, adding that over 110,000 people moved to villages in Masisi, Rutshuru, and Nyiragongo territories following a 72-hour ultimatum by M23 representatives urging them to leave Goma.

OCHA is concerned about unplanned closures of displacement sites, which result in the loss of critical infrastructure such as health centers and cholera treatment facilities, reducing response capacity and jeopardizing humanitarian investments.