During his last Sunday Angelus address on January 18, Pope Leo raised concerns about the refugees fleeing the Democratic Republic of Congo as internal conflict in the country increases.
POPE LEO XIV
Today I wish to recall in particular the great difficulties suffered by the population of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, forced to flee their country, especially toward Burundi, because of violence and to face a serious humanitarian crisis. Let us pray that dialogue for reconciliation and peace may always prevail among the parties in conflict.
The numbers are stark: in less than two months, almost 100,000 Congolese refugees have fled eastward to the neighboring country of Burundi alone.
The massive influx of asylum seekers was sparked by the increasing scale of conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where government forces continue to grapple with M23, a military insurgency group in that same part of the country. Many have condemned the group for human rights violations and terrorist activities.
Despite the recent peace agreement brokered by the US government this past June between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, there is strong evidence that the latter is backing M23 even after signing the agreement.
Rwanda, on the other hand, has accused Congolese authorities of working with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which has ties to those responsible for the Rwandan genocide of 1994.
With various parties involved in game of smoke and shadows, it remains to be seen how all sides will heed Pope Leo's calls for reconciliation.
Pope Francis visited the Democratic Republic of Congo in January 2023, where he also advocated for peace and reconciliation — it is a call that, so far, has fallen on deaf ears.
