Kinshasa: Traditional Healers Gather at Cemetery to Pray for FARDC in Conflict With M23

KINSHASA, DRC - December 21, 2025 - Traditional healers from across the Democratic Republic of Congo gathered early Sunday morning at the Gombe cemetery in Kinshasa to perform rituals and prayers seeking spiritual support for the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) and allied Wazalendo fighters amid ongoing fighting against the AFC/M23 armed group.

The gathering took place at around 8:00 a.m., twelve days after M23 fighters captured the city of Uvira in South Kivu Province.

Arriving before dawn, the traditional leaders toured the cemetery, paid tribute to those buried there, poured water on graves, lit fires, and carried out ritual ceremonies intended to invoke ancestral protection and strength for the country during the conflict.

Participants said the prayers were aimed at calling upon ancestral spirits to intervene spiritually in the war and to support the nation during a period of insecurity.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Blanchard Ipipo Luzolo said the rituals also included prayers for the protection of national leaders, including President Félix Tshisekedi Tshilombo and Foreign Affairs Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner.

The traditional healers also said they prayed for unity and blessings among Congolese communities, including the Bangala and Luba peoples, asking for strength, peace, and victory for the country.

The ceremony highlights the continued influence of traditional spiritual practices in Congolese society, particularly during moments of national crisis, as fighting persists in eastern regions of the country.