Paul Keenan
Leaders in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have heeded the urgings of the country’s Catholic bishops and have begun to lay the groundwork for a national dialogue to avoid violence in the run-up to national elections.
Amid tensions caused by the strong suspicion that current President Joseph Kabila will attempt to maintain his grip on power after his constitutional limit of two administrations, the bishops had urged talks to calm such fears and to smooth the path to free and fair elections.
Now the president of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, had appointed Edem Kojo, former Prime Minister of Togo as the AU’s envoy to the DRC to begin consultations towards political talks on all sides.
In a statement on behalf of the Bishops’ Conference of DRC, Fr Leonard Santedi said: “The current problems are crucial for the future of the country. We must identify obstacles, barriers. This is why the bishops are discussing with everyone, even with the international community.”
