Source: www.persecution.org
Date: July 21, 2022
DRC (International Christian Concern) – DRC President Felix Tshisekedi’s brother-in-law has been accused of stealing land by members of the Catholic Church in Kinshasa who called it “state banditry.”
Father Christian Ngazin, the rector of the theological seminary St. John XXIII, stated in a press conference that the church has held around nine hectares of land since “colonial times.” He said in the conference that some people came to the land in 2019, “wrongfully” claiming ownership of the land.
On Monday, July 18, the people came back to take the land and “broke down the door, attacked the security guards and started construction work. They came under the mandate of Mr. John Nyakeru,” according to Father Ngazin. John Nyakeru is the Congo’s ambassador to Kenya, as well as Denise Nyakeru’s brother. Denise is the wife of President Tshisekedi.
John Nyakeru’s lawyer, Katako Okito, reported that the disputed land had been subdivided in 2019. “There are titles in the names of third parties and all of a sudden, the Church considers that [the land] belongs to it. The land registry is there, the justice system is there, if the church feels (wronged) it can go to court against my clients.”
Reportedly, the relationship between the Catholic Church and Congolese government has been tense for many years.
Please pray for the Catholic Church in the DRC.
HOW TO PRAY: Pray for the rights of the church to be equally recognized. Pray for justice to be upheld in this situation. Pray for the gospel to spread through churches across the DRC.