At God's Table, Peace is Possible

from the Peace and Global Witness Special Offerings

God is with us, even in the thickest Jungle. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (RC) has been in constant conflict for nearly two decades. The civil war there officially came to an end in 2003, but violence continues in the country's eastern provinces. Women are victims of conflict-related sexual assault. Children are conscripted into militias. People live in daily fear.

In 2013, a delegation from the federation of Protestant Women in Ituri decided enough was enough. With unwavering faith in God's power to draw their enemies to the table of justice, these women ventured to the jungle hideout of the fearsome rebel leader Cobra Matata. For more than a year, they visited with Cobra repeatedly, asking him to lay down his arms. Finally, their courage and faith won out: Cobra surrendered to the Congolese Army.

Encouraged by this sign of peace, the women of eastern DRC are inviting other warlords to begin the long process of peace and reconciliation. With the support of Presbyterians, they hope to begin healing the deep spiritual, physical and emotional wounds of their nation's conflict and move toward a lasting peace.