Today more than ever in Africa, justice, peace, and reconciliation have become issues that require more attention, and upon which more reflection and action are needed in order to promote and protect values that enhance human dignity and help to avoid any trend to incite violence in addressing contentious issues. Many peace agreements in the Democratic Republic of Congo have revealed their limitations in bringing about peace. Such limitations would be explained by the overemphasis on political and military solutions to conflict resolution to the detriment of justice and social reconciliation. It becomes clearer today that sustainable peaceful co-existence cannot be founded only on political agreements. Promoting justice and social reconciliation is the key to the problem of peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In other words, the best way to sustainable peace in the Congo is to promote justice and social reconciliation that includes both political and spiritual dimensions. Reconciliation is an ongoing process, which is not achieved once and for all. It requires combined efforts and determination to build a society founded on the respect of human dignity.

Willy Moka-Mubelo is a Jesuit from the Democratic Republic of Congo. He received a MA in philosophy from La faculte de Philosophie Saint Pierre Canisius in Kinshasa, an STL and a ThM in social ethics from The Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University in California/USA. He is currently a PhD student and teaching fellow at Boston College.