19.01.2023

Bokundoa-bo-Likabe demands investigation

Reverend Dr. André-Gédéon Bokundoa-bo-Likabe, Church President of the ECC, demands state mourning be ordered by the government for the victims of the attack. Foto by: ECC

The January 15, 2023 bombing of a baptism service has been strongly condemned by the ECC* church president, Rev. Dr. André-Gédéon Bokundoa-bo-Likabe. In a statement, the church leader calls the attack at an ECC church in Kasindi a "cowardly and despicable act." The attack in North Kivu province in eastern DR Congo killed 17 people and injured others, according to media reports.

According to a TAZ newspaper report, the government in Kinshasa holds the "terrorists of the ADF" responsible for this "purely terrorist attack." The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) professed allegiance to the global "Islamic State" (IS) in 2019. According to Bokundoa-bo-Likabe, the attack shows that achieving and enforcing the state's monopoly on force must be a top priority for the government in Kinshasa to ensure lasting peace in the region.

Just last summer, the Congolese rebel group M23 ("Mouvement 23," March 23 Movement) seized vast areas in the tri-border area with Rwanda and Uganda in a battle against Congolese government troops that triggered a mass exodus. As a result, in November, several members of the UEM communion had provided emergency aid totaling 52,000 euros to support the ECC in its response to the approximately 40,000 internally displaced persons.

"The UEM condemns in the strongest terms the brutal and inhumane killing of innocent children, youth, women and men by the bombing during the service. The UEM prays for all victims of war and terror and expresses its deepest condolences to the families affected by this senseless act. In addition, the UEM calls for more action to finally end the war and terror in the North Kivu region," said Rev. Dr. John Wesley Kabango, head of the Africa Department and member of the UEM Management Team.

Bokundoa-bo-Likabe calls on the government to launch a full investigation to clarify the crime in order to hold the perpetrators accountable. In addition, he said, the government must provide every assistance to ensure a dignified burial for the victims and adequate care for all who are injured.

Here you find the press release in German language.

*ECC = Eglise du Christ au Congo (Church of Christ in Congo).