The leader of the Catholic Church in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, stated that the lack of peace in his country has nothing to do with Rwanda, as the government of President Felix Tshisekedi suggests, but rather that all the problems this country faces stem from bad governance.
This was included in a message he delivered on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025, where he indicated that the DRC is in severe pain and is in a coma. However, he emphasized that everything is due to bad governance.
He explained that the reason the DRC is always in distress is that its natural wealth is being exploited, including precious minerals, and that this exploitation is carried out by major countries, facilitated by the governance of this country.
He stated: “We know the reason our country is always in distress. It is a reason everyone knows and always comes up, heard on radio channels, television, it is spoken of everywhere. This is done by major companies in the precious minerals trade from powerful countries seeking untapped resources, forests, and waters of Congo to use them for their own benefit.”
Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo states that in terms of security, the DRC has no military force to help protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, indicating that this is why the fighters of the AFC/M23 have occupied many areas in the eastern part of the country.
He also mentioned that the issue the Kinshasa government presents, claiming that Rwanda is the reason their country is always in conflict, is not true.
He said: “The main reason for the lack of peace is not external people, not foreigners, not Rwanda, but us Congolese.”
He further stated that in the three years of war in the eastern part of the country, the leaders in Kinshasa behave as if there is no problem, focusing more on their own interests, while those not in power seek ways to get involved.
He said: “While the country is at war, while the enemy expands its positions, what concerns us most is sharing the bread. What can we do to get into the government, to be among the wealthiest?”
Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo also pointed out that the government often mistakenly labels those who join the AFC/M23 as traitors.
Ati: “While the country is in conflict, while the enemy expands its positions, what interests us is only sharing the bread. What can we do to enter the government and be among the wealthy?”
Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo also indicated that the government often misunderstands those who unite with AFC/M23 because it labels them as traitors.
He said: “How do the sons of the country leave here, even from Kinshasa, to unite with AFC/M23? We ask ourselves this question, why? We may consider those who go as traitors because they unite with the enemy, but the fundamental question is why do these people behave this way?”
He stated that the budget of the Congolese government is 3 billion US dollars, and 70% of it is used by those in political positions, while 30% is allocated to the citizens.
He pointed out that the mismanagement of state resources is what makes Congolese people angry, leading them to unite with AFC/M23 with the goal of liberating the DRC.
Ambongo noted that in the DRC, there are those who disguise themselves as justice providers, robbing citizens of their property, and when they find no justice, they choose to express their suffering by joining the fighters of AFC/M23.
He concluded by urging the Congolese government to stop singing about peace and instead strive to build it, as mere words alone will not bring safety to this country.
