Félix Tshisekedi and the members of CENCO
Politics
Friday, May 16, 2025 – 2:06 PM
Facing the distrust of the Tshisekedi administration towards the project “Social Pact for Peace and Well-being Together in the DRC and the Great Lakes” carried by CENCO-ECC, the bishops of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) urge President Félix Tshisekedi not to listen to those who want to divert his attention from the interests of the population. During a press conference on Friday, May 16, the Secretary General of CENCO, Donatien Nshole, reassured that in the initiative of these two churches, there is no intention to overthrow the constitutional order but rather to support the head of state in his prerogatives as “guarantor of the nation.” “There is a part that understands the relevance of the initiative, there is another part that is wary of good faith. We speak with everyone, some are suspicious, in fact, you hear that in the media believing that we were trying to cook something up to overthrow the constitutional order. The head of state is a man, he receives conflicting advice from his political family, and that is the meaning of the bishops’ recommendation. It is a way of saying do not listen to those who want to divert you from the interests of the population for their own selfish interests, trust your spiritual fathers who want to help you, accompany you in your mission as guarantor of the nation,” reassured Donatien Nshole, SG of CENCO at the end of the bishops’ meeting held from May 12 to 15 on the socio-pastoral situation of the country. If the Tshisekedi regime is distrustful, Donatien Nshole revealed that the entire opposition and some social forces have indeed joined the initiative led by CENCO-ECC. “Practically the whole opposition has joined. The civil society, a large part has also joined. On the side of the government, there is a part that is in agreement, but these are agreements of the kind that should not yet be taken into account as sufficient, you know that the majority has as its moral authority the head of state so it is his agreement that surrounds and as I told you when we met him, he still appreciated the initiative, he expressed some concerns and when he receives us, it will also be for us to give him the answers to the concerns he had expressed,” added Donatien Nshole. On the day after the capture of the city of Goma, capital of the North Kivu province by the M23 rebellion supported by the Rwandan army, voices inside and outside the country had risen to call on the various parties to a national dialogue to resolve the security crisis in the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Catholic Church and the Protestant Church have initiated and proposed for this purpose, consultations of the socio-political class for a national dialogue. But this approach is refuted by the ruling party, the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), which affirms that “the church does not have the vocation to take political initiatives.” At the international level, like France and Belgium who support the ongoing peace initiatives, also continue to encourage national initiatives in order to permanently resolve conflicts in the East of the country. So far, Kinshasa seems reluctant to these different calls from certain states at the national level.
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Not really sure why this matters, but it seems like Félix Tshisekedi and the CENCO folks are having a bit of a tiff, with the government being all suspicious and the bishops trying to assure them that they mean well. I mean, it’s not every day you see a President being told to trust his spiritual fathers, right? It’s like a family drama unfolding on the political stage, with different sides trying to figure out who’s got the best interest of the nation at heart. And then you have this whole opposition and social forces joining in on the initiative, while the ruling party is like, “Nah, we don’t need the church’s help with politics.” Talk about a clash of beliefs and priorities, huh? It’s like a never-ending game of tug-of-war between different factions, each pulling in their own direction, hoping to come out on top.
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Not really an expert on politics, but it seems like the situation in the DRC is pretty tense right now, especially with all these rebels and external forces involved. And here we have the church trying to play peacemaker, proposing dialogues and consultations to bring about some stability. But of course, not everyone is on board with that idea, with the ruling party brushing off the church’s efforts. It’s like watching a high-stakes poker game, with everyone trying to bluff their way to victory. Will they be able to put aside their differences and come together for the greater good? Only time will tell, I guess. Let’s hope they figure things out before it’s too late.
