The Catholic Bishops of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have called for a national dialogue towards avoiding “chaos” in the nation amid the threat of delayed elections.
With President Laurent Kabila resisting calls to step aside by the end of the year, as required by the DRC’s constitution, there are suspicions that moves to delay the November elections could be a ploy to enable him to remain in power beyond his second term.
Such suspicions are breeding a very real possibility of violence, something the bishops have already sounded a warning on.
Now, in their latest message, the prelates insist that dialogue is vital and call on political leaders to “make the needed concessions for a sincere national dialogue to take place”.
Speaking on behalf of the prelates, Abbot Leonard Santedi Kinkupu, secretary-general of the Bishops’ Conference of Congo added: “It is imperative that we respect the fundamentals of our constitution concerning the number and length of presidential terms.”
Chinese province’s upsurge in raids
Charities and monitoring groups have reported an upsurge persecution of Christians in Xinjiang province in China. Located in China’s north-west, Xinjiang has reportedly been the site of recent raids on churches to detain Christian pastors and their families. According to China Aid, “local Christians are uncertain why authorities are targeting house churches with such renewed intensity”.
The group pointed out that in Heitan a number of churches were raided in a single day. Christians detained in those raids were questioned for many hours.
One pastor, who evaded capture in a raid, later posted a message online to pray that Christians in Xinjiang “be endowed with confidence, tenderness, eloquence and a loving heart so that they may defend their faith”.