The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has established an international advisory council of prominent war crimes experts to bolster its efforts to hold perpetrators of atrocities in the country’s conflict-ridden eastern region accountable and secure justice for victims.
The newly created Council for the Examination of Atrocities in the DRC will provide legal and strategic guidance to two Congolese state institutions as they seek international recognition of crimes committed during the decades-long conflict and pursue reparations for affected communities.
The initiative forms part of Kinshasa’s renewed push for international accountability over one of Africa’s deadliest conflicts, which has claimed millions of lives and displaced countless others. Eastern DRC has remained volatile for decades as numerous armed groups battle for control of the region’s rich mineral resources.
The roots of the crisis date back to the aftermath of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide, when many of those responsible for the killings fled into eastern Congo, triggering cycles of violence that have continued for more than three decades.
Last month, the Congolese government instituted proceedings against Rwanda at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Kigali of breaching international treaties relating to genocide, racial discrimination and torture.
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly last year, President Félix Tshisekedi urged the international community to recognise what he described as a “silent genocide” in the DRC and called for the establishment of an international commission of inquiry to end decades of impunity.
The latest move comes amid renewed fighting in eastern Congo, where the AFC/M23 rebel group has seized significant territory. The United Nations and several Western governments have accused Rwanda of supporting the rebels, allegations the Rwandan government has repeatedly denied.
The advisory council is co-chaired by Congolese human rights campaigner Julienne Lusenge and British jurist Howard Morrison, a former judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the UN tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
Its members also include Stephen Rapp, former United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues and lead prosecutor in the trial of former Liberian President Charles Taylor, alongside Pascal Turlan, a former senior ICC official who worked extensively on cases involving the DRC.
Congolese authorities say the council will strengthen ongoing efforts to document atrocities, advance international legal action and secure justice and compensation for victims of one of Africa’s longest-running conflicts.
