“Your prayers are very important”: Quakers appeal for peace as war empties the city of Uvira
Quakers in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo are asking for prayers and peace as war has driven many from their homes.
Since 10 December, the city of Uvira has been captured by the M23 militia. Hundreds of thousands of people have fled in fear, many with nothing but the clothes they were wearing.
Homes, schools, churches, and health centres have been abandoned almost overnight. Many are hiding in their homes.
Pastor David Etabo, a Quaker leader with the Congolese Friends Church (CEEACO), sent this report:
“We are going through a very difficult and trying time because, after the M23 forces took Uvira, there has been a massive displacement.
“Almost 98 per cent of the population has fled the war, from Uvira to Misisi, a distance of 180 km. The serious issue is the lack of material and food assistance, as well as medical and other care.
“People are moving from place to place; some are going to Burundi, others to the Ubwari peninsula, Kalemi, Kazimia, and into the bush. We estimate that there are approximately 600,000 displaced people living in dire conditions.
“In short, your prayers would be very important."
Uvira is a key trading centre on Lake Tanganyika, close to the Burundi border. A week after hostilities broke out, the situation has calmed slightly but the border remains closed, cutting off food and medical supplies.
Fighting spread south to surrounding villages, forcing health centres to shut and families to scatter.
Earlier this year, the M23 militia captured the cities of Goma and Bukavu. Although a peace agreement between the governments of the DRC and Rwanda was signed on 5 December, the renewed fighting and capture of Uvira have shattered hopes for stability.
Quaker Congo Partnership UK, a Quaker charity that has worked alongside Congolese Quakers for many years, supports projects in peacebuilding, women's education, and rural healthcare in and around Uvira.
Quaker Congo Partnership UK joins Congolese Friends in calling for peace, for the protection of civilians, and for humanitarian access.