Attempted kidnapping or security exercise? About ten armed men forced their way into the bishop’s residence and broke into the cathedral.
Newsroom(03/03/2023 14:15, Gaudium Press) In the city of Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo, about ten armed men, claiming to be from the Republican Guard and without giving any explanation, tried to enter the compound of the Archdiocese of Lubumbashi, this past Friday, February 24. In a statement, Archdiocese of Lubumbashi demands clarification of why the invasion took place.
Attempted kidnapping or security exercise?
“After encountering strong resistance from the security team at the entrance of the episcopal residence, they quickly went to the gatehouse and insistently demanded access to the office of the archbishop who was working quietly,” the statement highlights. In fact, Archbishop Fulgence Muteba is known to have facilitated the reconciliation in May last year between Joseph Kabila and Moïse Katumbi, two former enemy brothers.
These unwanted visitors then inspected the St. Peter and St. Paul Cathedral, located next to the archdiocese. According to the communiqué, they “claimed to be part of the President’s team. And they specified that they had the task of providing security in view of a religious event to be held at the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul, in Lubumbashi, during a planned stay of the Head of State in Alto Catanga.
“It was strange, because we have no information that the head of state would come to us. We know other Presidents of the Republic, this has never happened,” clarified Bishop Emmanuel Mumba, Vicar General and in charge of social works, and continued “You don’t kiss a bishop’s ring with a gun,” hinting that it could be a kidnapping attempt.
Erick Muta, Provincial Minister of Interior in Lubumbashi, explained that this was not an attempted kidnapping, but rather a simulation exercise as part of the training of Republican Guard soldiers, trained by Israeli instructors. He assures that these exercises will continue in other parts of the city
The commander of the Republican Guard, for his part, declared that the action carried out by his men “was not a hostile activity against the Archbishop, but an act of benevolent request to the ecclesiastical authorities to adopt protective measures in case of visits of high personalities to the Cathedral”.
With information from agenzia fides
Compiled by Teresa Joseph
