Nov. 17, 2008 issue
MCC sends aid, builds relations in Congo
By Tim Shenk Mennonite Central CommitteePage:
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AKRON, Pa. – Mennonite Central Committee will provide $280,000 in aid to people affected by war in the eastern region of Congo, where escalating violence is driving hundreds of thousands from their homes.
Congolese Mennonite leaders — from left, Hélène Milolo, Ruth Ndombe, Bernice Kanama and Christine Kalume — visited communities affected by violence in eastern Congo. — Photo by Suzanne Lind/MCC
MCC is working with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank and the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada to provide food to more than 20,000 displaced people in Congo’s South Kivu province. The project is expected to start in December.
Eastern Congo is one of the deadliest places on Earth. Millions of civilians are caught between various armed groups battling for control of Congo’s vast mineral resources.
An estimated 5 million people have been killed over the last 12 years through two regional wars and ongoing fighting among rebel groups, U.N. troops and the Congolese army.
Recent rebel attacks have led to fears of expanded warfare on the scale that Congo experienced during the 1990s, according to Deo Namwira, an MCC international grants manager who is originally from eastern Congo.
“The whole east may catch fire, and that’s something we would regret,” Namwira said.
Eastern Congo’s conflict has many causes, including ethnic tensions related to the 1994 genocide in neighboring Rwanda. However, Namwira said that armed groups are primarily fighting to reap profits from Congo’s mineral resources, such as gold, tin, diamonds and coltan, a metal used in laptop computers and cell phones.
“I think the West needs to look into that very closely and see how that could be stopped,” Namwira said.
MCC is undertaking a variety of projects in Congo related to relief, advocacy and peace-building.
In October, MCC sponsored a trip to build relationships between people in eastern Congo and Congolese Mennonites, who live primarily in western Congo, with the exception of one Mennonite church in eastern Congo.
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Comments
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Greetings It is with joy that I read about the help that MCC is providing in Goma Congo. We want to contribute as well. My wife Susie and were Rwanda in March of this year for a month. We visited several areas and cities in Rwanda, Burundi and we went north to Goma in DR Congo. When we were there Doug Hebert was the MCC representative. Has any one been appointed to replace him? Blessings as you minister to these people.
David Shantz 262 St Germain, Ville St Laurent, Montreal Quebec H4L 3R5 514-510-5770
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Bonjour a tous!
I would like to express my gratitude to the MCC board for willingness to help internal displaced people in Goma-Eastern Congo. I commend you"MCC" for the good work you are planning to start in December in order save lives and to restore hope to this innocent population paying the cost of selfishness and greediness of Mr Nkuda. spoken
Once again thank you and keep up in this humanitarian job you are about to start, I wish could be able to volunteer.
Pascal Mulindwa Bukuru Human Rights Activist-Asylum Seeker in Kenya Po.Box: 50095 City Square 00200 Nairobi
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