Archbishop Thabo Makgoba prays for ‘politics of peace’ to end DRC bloodshed

Cape Town Anglican Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, mourning the death of soldiers in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has called on world leaders to put more value on the lives of Africans in war zones.

In a call for prayer issued to churches on Sunday, Makgoba conveyed his condolences to the families of South African soldiers who died in clashes with M23 rebel forces in the DRC.

“We pray for the force of arms to be replaced by the politics of peace,” he said.

He called on Sadc, the AU and the UN to intensify efforts to achieve long-lasting peace and stability in the DRC, Sudan and Mozambique.

The archbishop appealed to the international community to “show the same compassion for Africans who suffer the horrors of war as those of other nations”.

Makgoba, who has family in the SANDF, composed a prayer for use in Anglican churches and beyond which acknowledged the sacrifices the country's men and women made while helping to protect African sisters and brothers from insurgent violence.

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