Pray for DR Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) features a landscape of dense jungles, rivers, and mountain ranges that support unique, endangered wildlife found nowhere else on earth, including the bonobo, the okapi, and the Grauer’s gorilla. Formerly known as Zaire, the nation is now named after the mighty Congo —  the world’s deepest river. The DR Congo is also home to over 200 people groups, making it one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world. With a population of over 110 million people, DR Congo is Africa’s second-largest country, producing more than half of the world’s cobalt.

These blessings of plentiful resources have been misused and exploited. Corrupt government leaders have used profits for private interests rather than public gain. Though official war ended in the early 2000s, intense warfare still lingers, leaving more than 8 million people displaced. Armed rebel groups continue to inflict violence, committing some of the highest rates of conflict-related sexual violence in the world. These fighters also commit brutal war crimes and routinely kidnap women and children. Malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV claim hundreds of thousands of lives, too. Yet DR Congo is taking steps toward healing and rebuilding. The nation has launched a new electoral cycle, reconstruction projects, and peacebuilding efforts.

The 20th century saw a major turning of Congolese to Christ. Today, over 90 percent of the population are professing Christians! By God’s grace, the Church has been a stable and consistent foundation to look to for hope and reconstruction. Even so, witchcraft and belief in the power of ancestors hinder biblical teaching, and Christians in eastern provinces face daily persecution from Islamic groups. Churches have been bombed, and believers who profess their faith are sometimes killed in the streets. Nonetheless, God continues to visibly demonstrate His powerful work. Suffering people are being delivered, and evils are being rooted out from this beautiful nation.