For the past seven months, the Democratic Republic of Congo has been a fighting arena for the armies of several nations. Rwanda, Uganda, and Burundi have been fighting alongside the Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie (RCD), a rebel group trying to overthrow President Laurent Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo. On the government's side, armies from Zimbabwe, Angola, Chad, and Namibia have been assisting the Congolese armed forces (FAC) to repel the Rwandan and Ugandan troops from its territory.

According to many Congolese, the conflict has halted efforts by the government and civil groups to rebuild the country after the end of a 32-year dictatorship. The country has been partitioned. The rebels, along with their Ugandan and Rwandan backers, hold most of the east, while the rest of the country is held by the government and its allies. The crisis has created a humanitarian disaster, which, if not resolved soon, could spill into neighboring countries like Tanzania and Zambia, where an estimated 500,000 Congolese have taken refuge.

Impacts of the conflict have been felt by all levels of Congolese society. There are food and gasoline shortages across the country. Malnutrition and other curable diseases have already caused numerous deaths. Tragically, a large number of children are no longer able to attend school and have become "child soldiers." Even evangelism has been affected. According to Richard Byamungu, a Pentecostal evangelist based in Goma, outreach ministries to indigenous people like the pygmies, who live in northeastern Congo, have been interrupted by the fighting.

Since the beginning of the war, there has been a rise in violence due to ethnic hatred in the entire Great Lakes Region of Africa (Burundi, DRC, Rwanda, and Uganda). New armed groups are springing up almost everywhere. On his return from a recent visit to the DRC, Roberto Garreton, a UN special reporter, announced that there are more than 20 armed groups operating in eastern DRC. In Uganda, a group of armed gangs, allegedly Interahamwe guerrillas from Rwanda, recently killed eight tourists, including two Americans.

The crisis began when Rwandan and Ugandan troops invaded eastern Congo in support of Congolese rebels. Both countries claim that their military intervention in Congo was done for security reasons, because rebel groups trying to destabilize the Rwandan and Ugandan governments operate out of bases in the DRC.

Since then, many Congolese have been displaced from their homes, especially in territories occupied by Rwandan troops. In addition, Congolese villagers have been massacred by both Rwandan and Ugandan soldiers. At a recent United Methodist gathering in Washington, DC, Dr. Mumba Djamba, a board member of the General Board of Church and Society, said, "The war has . . . caused the massacre of many Congolese, as well as the systematic looting of many churches, residential houses, motor vehicles, factory equipment, and . . . natural resources." According to MISNA, the Catholic News Agency, more than 800 people from Kasika, South Kivu, including priests and nuns, were massacred in August 1998. The same agency also reports that an additional 500 people were massacred by both the Rwandan and the RCD forces in Makobola, South Kivu, around New Year's Eve. Echoing MISNA's reports and Dr. Djamba's statement, the Reverend Membele Lukaso, from the Central Conference of the United Methodist Church in Congo, alleges that victims of the Rwandan aggression have been mostly women, children, and civilians.

Those displaced by the war include several United Methodist families from the Kivu and Katanga provinces. Many have sought refuge in the deep Congo jungle, while those who are financially capable have joined their relatives in different parts of the country. Others are now living in refugee camps in Kigoma, Tanzania. Several UMC missionaries have also been evacuated. Since the United States has failed to condemn the Rwandan and Ugandan offensive, Congolese, including UMC members, have accused the Clinton administration of condoning the invasion of their country. To show their sense of patriotism, young Congolese UMC members voluntarily enlisted in the armed forces to fight off the invasion, according to sources within the UMC in the DRC.

Regional efforts to broker peace have been made by the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and Zambian president Frederick Chiluba. The plan calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the removal of foreign troops from Congolese territory, and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Congo. In addition, the peace initiative would provide security guarantees for both Rwanda and Uganda.

According to the Rwandan and Ugandan governments, past efforts to end the war were halted by Congolese president Laurent Kabila's refusal to negotiate with the RCD rebels. But while hosting the British foreign secretary in Kinshasa recently, President Kabila told him that he is ready to meet with the RCD "anytime and anywhere."

March 5, 1999