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DR-CONGO: Church stands in solidarity with LRA victims

February 14, 2010 (ISIRO, DRC) –The Catholic community in Isiro, in north-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), held a procession and a Mass to remember and pray for the victims of Ugandan rebels of the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army).

The day was also an expression of solidarity with those who have been wounded, tortured, or kidnapped by rebels, according to Isiro Diocese statement.

For months, the Ugandan rebels have plagued the region by attacking defenceless villages. In the absence Bishop Julian Andavo Mbia of Isiro, the Mass on Sunday was presided over by Msgr Dieudonné Abakuba, Episcopal Vicar, and concelebrated by a dozen priests, in the presence of 800 faithful.

“We are gathered here to celebrate the Eucharist and to commemorate our fellow victims of the LRA, and to express our solidarity with all who suffer,” said Msgr Abakuba in his homily.

“We do not understand why this is happening today, but we can see these events with the light of faith. May the Lord open the hearts of the country’s authorities to seek solutions,” he said.

The cleric added that, “We must help our brothers who bear the brunt of this suffering. We are gathered here to share with our brothers, the pain and assets we have. What we have received from the Lord is not only for us, but is for the good of all. May we open our hearts and hands to relieve the suffering of others. We are called to communion and understanding.”

Fr Tatsima Baldwin, head of the diocesan Caritas, said, “Internally Displaced People (IDP) are people like us, who because of the LRA rebels have lost their children, spouses, parents, property, and home. We do not even know the fate of some who fled into the forest.”

On Tuesday, February 2, an interfaith conference on the crisis caused by the LRA was convened by Archbishop Marcel Utembi Tapa of Kisangani.

Many people have left their villages for fear of further attacks and the dead have been left without burial, according to Msgr Abakuba.

(ST)

4 Comments

  • Dinka Dominated SPLA
    Dinka Dominated SPLA

    DR-CONGO: Church stands in solidarity with LRA victims
    Yes those people who claim to be sudaness are not sudaness they are congless they bette go to their country

    Reply
  • Time1
    Time1

    DR-CONGO: Church stands in solidarity with LRA victims
    The big problem with LRA is the foreign marcenary groups , the mercenary groups from Europe, they have to stop giving weapons to the LRA and to ask them to capture civilians to recruit, especially the British mercenaries, also Mercenaries from Netherland, Norway, Belgium/France and others, this people have destroyed a large portion of African villages and killed too many civilians under the cover of LRA, their main objective now seems to be to scare the civilians to clear the land so they can exploit the resources of Congo , because LRA has totally nothing to do with Congo, it is a Uganda rebel groups, why are they in Congo, where are they getting htei9r support from? alot of European security companies pretend to be in Africa to do investment and to do research work but they are the ones behind LRA and other rebels. so stop killing Africans or soon people will turn against you in a way that you do not want or expect.

    Yes Arabs use to support he LRA but now we find out it was not Arabs alone, some European groups are also involved in helping LRA especially until the present day they are still there pretending to be aid workers and conservation groups and private security for mineral mining companies in Uganda, Congo ,Kenya and Sudan, but they are mercenery that is supporting the LRA.

    Stop this sick senseless massacre of civilians in Congo and elsewhere.

    African countries should unite against this evils.

    Reply
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