Pope Francis has renewed his call for peace and a cessation of hostilities, expressing grave concern over the devastating impact on civilians, particularly in Goma and the surrounding areas.
Speaking during his weekly General Audience on Wednesday, the Pope’s appeal for international cooperation was clear: “As I pray for the swift restoration of peace and security, I call on local authorities and the international community to make every effort to resolve the conflict through peaceful means.”
Vatican News reports that this plea comes as fighting intensifies in North Kivu province, where M23 rebels, allegedly backed by Rwanda, have advanced on Goma, the capital of the region.
The Pope also addressed the violence in Kinshasa, where protests against countries perceived to be complicit in the conflict erupted earlier in the week. “I am also following with apprehension the events unfolding in the capital, Kinshasa,” he said. “I hope that all forms of violence against people and their property will cease.” His words underscored the urgency of halting violence in the wider context of the ongoing conflict, which has now reached the heart of Goma.
The situation in Goma has taken a tragic turn as the conflict now directly threatens Church-run facilities. Local Church leaders have reported casualties and damage to ecclesial infrastructure, including a tragic attack on the Maternal General Charité Hospital, where the neonatal unit was shelled, causing the death of newborns. “The city has been forced into shutdown by the fighting,” Bernard Balibuno of CAFOD remarked, highlighting the dire humanitarian crisis.
Goma, home to two million residents, has been overwhelmed by an influx of displaced persons, pushing the city’s already strained resources to breaking point. “Hundreds of thousands of people are displaced with many reduced to begging on the streets,” Balibuno said.
The already challenging humanitarian situation has worsened as Goma’s hospitals struggle to cope with the influx of casualties, with civilians arriving at medical facilities bearing wounds from bullets and shrapnel. “The three surgical teams work tirelessly to treat patients who are sometimes lying on the floor due to lack of space,” said Myriam Favier, head of the ICRC delegation in Goma.