Talks continue in Congo amid humanitarian crisis

(Vatican Radio) A leader of the M23 rebel delegation has announced they will attend Tuesday's session of talks between the rebel group and the Congolese government. Representatives of the rebels were notably absent from Monday’s talks.

The M23 rebel group, made up of hundreds of soldiers who deserted the Congolese army in April, accuse the Democratic Republic of Congo's government of failing to honour the terms of a 2009 peace deal that incorporated them into the national army. Recent clashes between the M23 rebels and government forces have forced more than 100,000 people to flee their homes.

Caritas Internationalis is one of the humanitarian aid agencies working to bring relief to those displaced and affected by the violence. We spoke with Head of Communications for Caritas Internationalis Patrick Nicholson about the situation on the ground in the Congo. He describe the humanitarian situation of the people of eastern Congo as “very dire.”

Caritas staff on the ground report that there are people living on the road, in camps, in make-shift shelters, and in schools, without access to food or water. The situation is made worse, he continued, with numerous sexual attacks against women and young girls.

“It’s very hard to access many of the camps and many of the people who are still in areas of conflict. And the camps that we can gain access to, the people there are very vulnerable to attack,” he said.

Caritas is working with the United Nations to address the needs of the people, Nicholson said, but lack of funding from donor governments was making it difficult to provide the necessary resources.

The Catholic Church, he continued, “has taken a very strong stance on the situation in Congo. The bishops within the country have said the situation is unacceptable, the conflict must end, and proper government must be re-established.”

Listen to Patrick Nicholson’s full interview with Vatican Radio’s Ann Schneible: