Meeting in Paris on May 30 at the "La Traversée" event, the National Fund for Victim Reparations (FONAREV) and the Interministerial Commission for Victim Assistance and Reform Support (Cia-Var) launched an international awareness campaign and a citizens' petition. This initiative aims to secure recognition of the crimes committed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. It brings back to the forefront the question of international recognition of one of the deadliest conflicts on the African continent.

Through this campaign, the two Congolese institutions intend to "bring forth the truth, raise awareness and strengthen international mobilization around the massacres perpetrated in the DRC for several decades".

The initiative comes at a time when Congolese actors believe that the extent of the suffering endured by civilian populations still does not receive recognition commensurate with the documented facts.

To acknowledge decades of violence

Researchers, journalists, scientists, lawyers, and artists took part in this meeting held in the French capital. Throughout the discussions, participants emphasized "the importance of naming the crimes committed, preserving the memory of the victims, and continuing to advocate for just recognition, based on documented facts and the demand for justice."

For the organizers, the battle is fought as much on the battleground of memory as on that of justice. According to them, the recognition of crimes is an essential step to meet the expectations of victims and combat oblivion.

"This mobilization is part of a broader dynamic of truth, memory and recognition," they stressed, referring to a struggle led by the Congolese but also by "all those who refuse to let these tragedies fall into oblivion."

Millions of victims at the heart of the plea

Behind this demand lies a particularly heavy human reality. The organizers recalled "the scale of the human tragedies experienced in conflict-affected areas," citing in particular violence against women, the recruitment of children, and the forced displacement of populations.

For FONAREV and CIA-VAR, the lack of mobilization around these tragedies remains a major concern. Both institutions are therefore calling for "a collective awareness of the suffering endured by civilian populations."

They also call for "increased mobilization of the international community to support victims, promote justice and contribute to lasting peace in the region."

The “Genocost”, a concept at the heart of the battle for historical memory

The meeting also provided an opportunity to highlight the concept of "Genocost", enshrined in Congolese law to designate genocides for economic purposes and the human costs of conflicts in the DRC.

"Let us commit to the appropriation of Genocost and the international recognition of the Congolese genocide, for the promotion of a culture of peace," declared the initiators of the campaign.

Established in 2022, FONAREV claims to have already documented more than 250,000 victims of conflict-related violence in eastern DRC. For the institution, official recognition of documented crimes is an essential step towards redressing the harm suffered and preventing further tragedies.

It remains to be seen whether this new campaign will succeed in advancing, on the international stage, the recognition of a tragedy that Congolese organizations consider one of the deadliest on the continent, but whose victims continue to demand justice and visibility.