Religious services in Kinshasa proceeded without major disturbances on February 16, 2025, apart from a failed attempt to disrupt mass at St. Theresa parish, which police successfully thwarted. This security action was a response to threats from the UDPS party against Catholic and Protestant churches, linked to political tensions involving the M23 rebel group.
In Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), religious services were conducted peacefully on February 16, despite threats against Catholic and Protestant congregations. At St. Theresa parish in Nd’jili, demonstrators attempted to disrupt the mass but were restrained by police intervention. Preemptive actions by the authorities were instituted following threats from supporters of the ruling Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) party, who intended to attack religious assemblies in protest of conversations held with political figures linked to the crisis in eastern DRC.
The police intervention successfully maintained order during religious services in Kinshasa, despite threats from ruling party supporters. The tensions stemmed from the meeting of religious leaders with political figures amid ongoing unrest caused by the M23 rebel movement. The situation underscores the fraught political climate affecting both religious and civic peace in the DRC.
Original Source: www.fides.org
