Congolese Priest says population in Eastern Congo despair of peace amid worsening humanitarian situation.

(Vatican Radio) The UN chief has appealed to Rwanda for restraint amid escalating tensions with the neighbouring DR Congo. The heightened tensions and counter accusations come amid fresh international efforts to bring peace to the Eastern Congo which has been wracked by conflict and chronic insecurity for nearly two decades. The prolonged conflict has created the largest humanitarian crisis in the world.

Emmanuel Kahindo is a Congolese Assumptionist Father who has just returned to Italy from a 2- month visit to the city of Goma and other areas of eastern Congo. He told Susy Hodges that the local population is beginning to despair that they will ever see peace.

Listen to the full interview:

Father Kahindo is a native of the Eastern Congo and during his visit to the area he found a local population that was starting to "lose hope" that they would ever see an end to the seemingly endless conflict. He also spoke of growing hunger among those living in rural areas because they were too afraid to cultivate their fields owing the presence of armed groups everywhere and the generalised sense of insecurity. Among the places he visited was the eastern city of Goma where he saw the local inhabitants throw stones at the UN peacekeeping troops because they accused them of being "complicit" in the violence.