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My personal experience in the Democratic Republic of Congo – December 2009 to May 2010
Greetings from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Firstly, I would like to thank the almighty God for the opportunity He gave to me and the experiences He has led me through. The value of being a priest and a Chaplain in the National Defence Force is a wonderful experience indeed. I have been deployed for six months with my soldiers to the Democratic Republic of Congo i.e. December 2009-May 2010. We have been on the Eastern part of DRC i.e Goma near Lake Kivu. A few kilometres away from our camp is the famous Nyiragongo (Volcanic) mountain. Actually it is a great threat to all the inhabitants of Goma. Early January 2010, there was an imminent threat of eruption. Thank God it happened in a smaller scale.
The SANDF is sent to DRC or Sudan for peace keeping Mission. A chaplain is always sent with the forces for spiritual upliftment; to render spiritual services, counselling and advise the commander on moral issues. A chaplain is part of Command Group, thus he sits in all the highest decision making meetings. I must say there is still a lot of fighting and killing of innocent people by the rebels. The United Nations’ involvement is for bringing peace and stability within the DRC. The DRC is so vast, with eleven provinces and very rich with raw materials. My mandate is to look after the spiritual welfare of all the soldiers placed under my jurisdiction. We have church services every Sunday, scripture and prayer at every morning Parade, Bible sharing every evening.
Some members are deployed outside Goma Area, thus I have to be with them in the bushes for some days. I have been so blessed to travel all over DRC. The prominent mode of transport is by Air as there are no roads in most areas. The infrastructure is still a great challenge in most provinces. Thus, our Engineer Squadron members have been busy building bridges or repairing bridges and establishing roads. In a Deployment Area, one has to be ready for any situation at anytime. Counselling for members is of utmost importance because of some traumatic experiences one encounters during operations or heavy fighting with rebels.
As a chaplain I had to interact with religious leaders of DRC. We had prayer sessions and serious discussions with regard to our contributions towards bringing Peace within respective communities. The impact of civil wars is so much felt in DRC. There is a vast gap between the rich and the poor. It is so sad to see a great number of children, young people as victims of war; very young boys who have been used as “soldiers” by rebels. The process of integration is going quite well. South Africans are playing a very important role in the progress of that process.
Being in DRC for those months, I realised how grateful one should be to have a country like South Africa. It has been a great experience to interact with other defence forces from all over the world. The objective has been to bring peace and stability within DRC. For all the successes, protection, strength, guidance, wisdom and encouragement, I give glory and praise to God. Be blessed.
Rev Fr Alfred Ntuli – Army Chaplain
Bethlehem 2 Field Regiment
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