Religious Leaders Call for Stronger Civil-Military Ties to Promote Peace in North Kivu

Beni, North Kivu, February 7, 2026 - On Saturday, religious leaders urged the army’s civic and patriotic education service and the FARDC Grand North operational sector command to strengthen civil-military relations, seen as a guarantee of lasting peace, in Beni, North Kivu. The appeal came during a working session attended by nearly 100 religious leaders and FARDC Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of operations and intelligence, General Jacques Kyaligonza Nduru. During his mission in Beni, General Nduru emphasized the need to involve all segments of the population, including the religious community, in efforts to find lasting solutions to restore peace in the region. The area remains affected by the activities of the ADF rebels. According to a report by the Congolese Institute for Research on Politics, Governance and Violence (Ebuteli), this rebel group is responsible for some of the most atrocious acts of violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The report notes that the ADF perpetrates massacres not only to recruit new fighters, but also to undermine the legitimacy of governments combating them.