Congolese sportspeople rally behind the FARDC

Congolese sportspeople are calling for peace in the east of the DRC, which is currently gripped by the violence of a war of aggression imposed on Congo Kinshasa by M23 rebels backed by the Rwandan army. The rebels have stormed into the city of Goma in recent days, causing the deaths of more than 2,000 people in fighting that took place in the heart of the city.

In his address to the nation on 29 January, DRC President Félix Tshisekedi called for general mobilisation behind the FARDC to defend the integrity of the national territory. The call has met with a positive response, reaching the world of sport, with several initiatives launched for the national cause.

Blood donations

Led by Sports Minister Didier Budimbu, the Congolese sports movement, including a sample of several dozen people, carried out mass blood donations. The blood is intended for soldiers of the DRC armed forces, should they need it during the war they are fighting. The sportspeople took part in an initiative by the First Lady, who was the first to donate blood.

Read also: Congolese Games return to the DRC after 51 years away

Raising funds through a gala match

To provide more financial resources for the FARDC, President Tshisekedi had called for a reduction in spending by state institutions. To contribute financially, Congolese sports operator Bob Richard Makandaleke has taken the initiative of organising a gala match in one of Europe's major cities, with the gate receipts going to the FARDC.

“This is a noble opportunity to show that sport can also be a sector that generates funds, which can provide considerable help to our brave soldiers fighting in the east of the country. We want to stage this match in a major European city so that our voice is heard too, because we believe this war is also being encouraged by certain countries in the international community. Just as marches make the DRC's voice heard, a gala match can also mobilise people,” he said.

Calls to boycott “Visit Rwanda”

Several Congolese sporting figures have called for a boycott of the “Visit Rwanda” campaign. According to Alain Makengo, a lawyer who is president of the League for the Defence of Human Rights and is involved in sport, Rwanda's sponsorship of several major European clubs, estimated at several million dollars, could also help to prolong the war in the east of the DRC.

“The whole world is watching a horrific scene in which Rwanda has invaded the east of the DRC, pillaging and killing. We are drawing the international community's attention to Rwanda's intention to establish its hegemony through its Visit Rwanda campaign, which sponsors major clubs such as PSG, Arsenal and Bayern Munich. This sponsorship is shameful because the money is also believed to come from minerals plundered in the DRC by killing its people. We appeal to everyone's conscience so that these big clubs give up this sponsorship and football returns to its values, which are love, honour and fairness,” he said.

Other sports officials are urging young people to answer President Tshisekedi's call to enlist in the army to defend the country.