Brass For Africa
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Report on a visit to Bukavu, DR Congo, 8-11 July 2003
I had been in Rwanda for a few days to visit a ministry to orphans led by Bishop Alexis Bilindabagabo (Gahini Diocese) and sponsored by Anglicord. The atmosphere in the country was in general optimistic and positive. Much building and rebuilding is going on. The leadership has worked hard to bring stability, reconciliation and economic growth. Although Rwanda remains very poor and no doubt there are many negative undercurrents not obvious to outsiders, I left there in a positive frame of mind.
Upon crossing the river border into Bukavu, it was as if a black curtain dropped down behind me. I was there for 2½ days and much of that time was spent listening to the desperate tales of former colleagues, workers and friends. In essence, the war of 9 years ago in Rwanda has been played out since then in Congo. Rwanda invaded in 1996 and again in 1998, with some justification, to remove the threat of former military and militia who were now refugees and had no intention of returning home. Uganda also invaded to remove threats. However, both countries had remained in Congo, using local rebel groups as proxies, to exploit its riches, causing enormous resentment, displacement, hunger and violence on both sides of the conflict. Both countries now claim that all their soldiers are withdrawn, leaving the rebel groups with free rein, but there is a great deal of scepticism about this in Bukavu. In contrast to the attitude I witnessed in Rwanda, the Rwandan leadership is vilified in Bukavu and Rwandan dominance in eastern Congo greatly resented.
The recent atrocities in Bunia (NE Congo) briefly brought the attention of the world to the situation in Congo. However, this was only because journalists and camera crews were able to get in there and get the message out, focusing on the killings within the town of Bunia. The stories I heard indicated that in large areas of eastern Congo outside the towns, the situation is much the same as it was in Bunia in June all the time. Killings, looting, violence and mass rape were the recurring themes in the accounts I heard. Large parts of the population are displaced or at least unable to move outside their villages to go their farming plots, causing widespread malnutrition and starvation. Women who attempt to go out to gather food or to farm are routinely subjected to rape. Many have nowhere to go because all of their housing, possessions and crops have been looted. There are two important but little known facts about the situation Congo at present: the current civil war since August 1998 has the largest death toll in any conflict since World War Two (probably 3.3 to 4.7 million), and it is the biggest humanitarian crisis in the world today. However, these facts are not well known and the Western media hardly give the situation any coverage except when there is spectacular, media-accessible killing.
The almost complete standstill to life outside the towns has caused economic activity in the towns to wither. The main street of Bukavu was busy, shops had plenty of stock and people apparently had money to spend, but this is true for only a very small portion of the population. The rest are living in deep poverty and desperation. Many of my visitors look back on life before the civil wars since 1996 as a time of relative prosperity, which really says a lot to anyone who knew the country back then. Even after having lived there for 10 years, I was shaken and shocked by the stream of stories I heard.
There is a note of hope however. In the week after my visit, representatives of the eastern rebels travelled to the capital to join in a unified government, which has now been inaugurated. This step might at least bring a beginning to the imposition of some law and order in the east, with disarmament or incorporation into the army of the groups causing the mayhem. The Rwandan ex-military and militia must be disarmed and repatriated, but there is a great deal of pessimism that this can be achieved.
The Anglican Church
The Anglican Church is of course badly affected by the situation. Bishop Masimango (Diocese of Kindu) has contact with 5 of his 42 parishes – the rest may not even still exist for all he knows.
The Council of the Diocese of Bukavu met in my honour. Many members spoke of the sense of abandonment they have felt since the wars began, with few visitors, many expatriates in the area leaving and no missionaries serving there since 1996. They do not feel that their friends in the west have supported them in their time of weakness. They were extremely – almost absurdly – grateful that I had come again for a visit. Life is such an enormous struggle that they would like to feel that, even if missionaries cannot come, there is some kind of support for the church to help those around them in need.
The Bishop of Bukavu is now the Archbishop of Congo, so he travels internationally even more than before. The rest of the diocesan staff and pastors continue to do what they can to advance their respective areas of responsibility, and have achieved some surprising things in the circumstances. A new health centre building had its foundation stone laid after the Diocesan Council meeting. The schools and health centres (those still existing) continue with very few resources. The TEE ministry continues in a number of places, but travel for the diocesan coordinator is very limited. Occasional training courses are held in the centre in Bukavu.
Although there is so much to be discouraged about, the sheer faith and resilience of, and efforts to keep going by, the ordinary people left me also feeling encouraged.
David Boyd
August 2003