My reflection on Church and society will be centred on three burning issues: mismanagement, corruption and war, which are impacting on churches in my society and in the wider Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).   Firstly, I will briefly explain how the three burning issues have affected the country in all their dimensions. Secondly, I will propose concrete actions with reference to Mordecai (Esther 4, 1-17) to redress these problems. This will shift to reveal how the other fellowship member churches could support the DRC churches in this situation.  And thirdly, I will draw how the DRC experience could contribute and be of relevance to the fellowship.

Before going further in this reflection I would like to give briefly the general view of DRC, in terms of location, population and religiosity.  The DRC is located in Central Africa, bordering nations with Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

The total number of people in DRC is nearly 60 million (2009). About 90% of the Congolese population is Christian, predominantly, Roman Catholic; most of the non-Christians adhere to either traditional religious or syncretic sects. The syncretic sects often merge Christianity with traditional beliefs and rituals. Kimbanguism “the Church of Christ on Earth by Prophet Simon Kimbangu” is the one of the largest African Instituted churches in DRC.

The DRC is a country with a vast potential of natural and resources and mineral wealth. However, the DRC is all situated among the poorest countries in the world.   As an example in 2008, per capital annual income was around $200. These are the consequences of mismanagement, corruption and war.

Agriculture is the basis of the DRC economy, accounting for 42, 5% of GDP in 2007. The main crops include coffee, palm oil, rubber, cotton, sugar, tea, and cocoa. Food crops include cassava, plantains, maize, groundnuts, and rice. However, commercial agricultural production or processing remains limited, with many producers engaged in subsistence food production.

The formal economy dominated in DRC is the mineral sector.  Research shows that “minerals account for the vast majority of the DRC’s exports and represent the single largest source for foreign direct investment (FDI). Copper, cobalt, gold, coltan, tin, and zinc are the big metals being mined and produced in DRC.” However, Gecamines, the state-owned mining giant, its production has been severely affected by corruption, civil unrest, world market trends, and failure to reinvest.

The DRC Civil Society accused the Congolese Government of corruption and mismanagement which is in turn, affecting the mining sector.

There is also the phenomenon of natural resource exploitation.  Five years ago the United Nations launched a Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploitation of Congolese Resources to examine the link between the war and natural resources exploitation. The reports issued by the panel indicate that the  fighting in South Kivu, which contains large reserves of coltan, (representing 60 to 80% of the worlds reserves) is linked to the commercial intersts of the United States and the European Union.    Control and exploitation of these natural resources is very great.   Thus the US and Europe Union support and finance the armed groups in eastern DRC through the countries (Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda) involved in the war in Congo.

In the same time, in this economic darkness, Russia and China are very attracted by the South Kivu Coltan. While people remain in the poorest of situations caused by the economic war, since 1996 more than five million of people died.   Women have been raped and carried unwanted children, orphan children became the “street children” with no access to education.   The spread of HIV and Aid is unending among poor people and many able bodied people became disabled during the war.  

The challenge is for the Congolese Government to take up its responsibility to control the mining sector. There is also the need to undertake diplomatic action by lobbying the US and European Union to encourage them to strengthen their support for resolution of the current conflict. Otherwise the conflict in Eastern Congo will continue and the whole country will remain under the power of darkness.

Therefore, there is a need for a strong leadership in DRC so that they can negotiate with these great powers in the letter and spirit of Berlin Act in order to develop the DRC and to discard the balkanization spectre of the DRC and the support of armed groups, which have illegally exploited the natural minerals of DRC. 

The example of Mordecai who urged Esther to go in to the King to implore his favor (Esther 4, 1-17) will help the understanding of how to respond to the question of “how can the fellowship of member churches support the churches in the situation you are facing?” I do believe that the churches still have an influence to change things in our society. I think about the struggles concerning freedom, racial equality and peace in US and South Africa, where churches were also engaged and made many different non-violent actions.[1] 

The call of Mordecai to Esther to intervene to the King for the sake of Jews is the same call that the Congolese churches call upon the fellow member churches to support the DRC for the liberation of peace and prosperity for all. And Mordecai added that “do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish….” This means that Esther had a mission to pleading for the liberation of her people. And she realized that for her to speak out and intervene to King would be a great release for the Jews. In other words the liberation of DRC will be a contribution for the all African continent.

The concrete actions I will propose to the fellow member churches to support the Congolese churches in the situation that is facing them. I will refer to the South African churches experience during the apartheid system, how SA churches restated their position to struggle for a just society.

Firstly, regarding the deepness of crisis that affected the DRC, the Congolese churches will need to take more roles active to “try and stop” the exploitation, injustice and insecurity which are engulfing the DRC in darkness.

Secondly, the Congolese churches will need more support from the Great lakes region and Central Africa region to come together to commit to the “real struggle for democracy” in order to resist against an unjust system of exploitation.

Thirdly, the Congolese churches will need to reaffirm their call to the International community, especially those from US and Europe, to stop supporting armed groups and in using the neighboring countries to destabilize the country for their profit.

Fourthly, the Congolese churches will need to call upon the International church leaders (especially US and Europe) to advocate these issues to their own political leaders, to encourage greater accountability and responsibility for their actions in the DRC.

To respond to the last question that will be also a conclusion of this reflection, which is “how our experience could enrich and be relevance to the fellowship?” I have realized that by sharing our sufferings, our oppressions, and our resistance to exploitation - we can also show our faith and hope in God that one day peace and justice will be reign in DRC.  This would enrich our fellowship in their own struggles, because God is concerned with our society, our communities, our environment and our individual concerns.

References:

1. The South African Council of Churhes National Conference Report 1988: Church Action in the South African crisis. Johannesburg, 1988
2. Reecca de Saintonge, Outside the Gate: The Story of Nico Smith. Rebecca de Saintonge, 1989
3. www.africatime.com/rdc/nouvelle.asp. 7/21/2009