As the European Parliament prepares to vote on a resolution regarding the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) later this week, H.E. Mgr. Mariano Crociata, President of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), has issued a statement on Wednesday, 12 February 2025, expressing deep sorrow and urgent concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Goma and eastern DRC. Read the Statement: EN | FR

People walking along a road in Goma, eastern DRC. (Photo: Shutterstock)
Mgr. Crociata’s statement follows a moving testimony by H.E. Mgr. Willy Ngumbi Ngengele M. Afr., Bishop of Goma, who recently visited COMECE to share first-hand accounts of the ongoing crisis.
The M23 rebels and their allies have plunged the vital city of Goma into chaos, resulting in nearly 3,000 deaths and the displacement of over one million people in recent weeks, according to UN figures. Civilians, including newborn babies killed in hospital bombings, have become victims of widespread violence, while thousands seek refuge in churches, schools, and makeshift camps amid severe shortages of food, water, and medical supplies.
While welcoming the EU’s recent €60 million humanitarian aid package and the roadmap to regional peace proposed by the Catholic and Protestant Churches, Mgr. Crociata calls for stronger efforts to ensure the protection of civilians and their access to humanitarian aid. He also urges local authorities and the international community “to do everything possible to resolve the conflict by peaceful means.”

H.E. Mgr. Mariano Crociata presiding the COMECE Plenary Assembly. (Photo: Cristian Gennari/Siciliani/COMECE)
“The involvement of foreign armies and militias, in particular Rwanda’s alleged support for the M23, constitutes a serious violation of international law. […] The EU and the international community must put pressure on these actors to cease their support for the M23, to negotiate in good faith, to respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the DRC, halting the exploitation of its natural resources” – the statement reads.
Ahead of the European Parliament’s vote on a resolution on the “Escalation of violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo” on Thursday, 13 February 2025, Mgr. Mariano Crociata calls on MEPs to adopt targeted sanctions and reassess economic cooperation – including the ‘Memorandum of Understanding on Sustainable Raw Materials Value Chains’ – with those responsible for human rights abuses, strengthen due diligence frameworks on conflict-linked minerals such as cobalt, coltan, and gold, and exert diplomatic pressure to ensure respect for the DRC’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
“Economic interests must not compromise the EU’s commitment to human dignity, international law, and justice”, Mgr. Crociata affirmed. He also assured the Bishops of the DRC of COMECE’s continued prayers and support for a just and lasting peace.
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Statement in English
Statement in French