DRC: Bishops Welcome Formation of Coalition Government

KINSHASA, SEPTEMBER 3, 2019 (CISA)-The National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) has welcomed the formation of a coalition Government in Congo, with the hope that it will serve the Congolese people without exclusion.

Speaking on behalf of the bishops, Fr Donatien N’shole the Secretary General of CENCO said that the citizens want change in the way the country is governed.

“The Bishops of CENCO have already committed themselves to accompanying the nation’s institutions of governance. The government is one of those main institutions. If the government works towards improving the living conditions of the Congolese, CENCO will do all it can to accompany the government. This is a promise that we have made,” he said.

Fr N’shole expressed his confidence in the new government saying, “…I have looked at the list, there are many new faces, which may suggest that we are going in a new direction,” he said expressing hope that new government will not result in disappointment.

“A country such as ours cannot function well without a government in place. Better late than never. We hope that the long wait will be compensated by the quality performance of the members of the government,” he added.

The Democratic Republic of Congo on August 26 announced a coalition government, seven months after the inauguration of President Felix Tshisekedi.  The power-sharing agreement will see 23 members of the executive drawn from president Tshisekedi’s Direction for Change party, and the remaining 42 from former president Joseph Kabila’s Common Front for Congo (FFC) party.