Kinshasa, April 1st, 2025 (CPA) – The Congolese living forces has been called upon, on Monday, by President Tshisekedi, to take ownership of the collective fight for the international recognition of the genocide perpetrated in the Democratic Republic of Congo, at the launching of the Round Table on Genocost. “This round table should enable us not only to bear witness, but above all to work together to build an effective national strategy to obtain international recognition of the genocide committed on our soil and to consolidate the lasting peace in our country’, has declared the Congolese Head of State. ‘My dear compatriots, our journey towards truth and peace is fraught with political, diplomatic and ideological obstacles, but it is necessary and irreversible. It is driven by the resilience of a people determined to triumph over darkness to build a future of peace, of justice and of dignity. And we must all work towards it’, he has said, before adding: “In officially opening this round table, I invite us all to be equal to this historic responsibility”. ‘My dear compatriots, our march towards truth and peace is strewn with political, diplomatic and ideological pitfalls, but it is necessary and irreversible. It is driven by the resilience of a people determined to triumph over darkness to build a future of peace, justice and dignity. And we must all work towards it’, he said, before adding: “In officially opening this round table, I invite us all to live up to this historic responsibility”.
Perseverance despite the diplomatic obstacles
A family photo of President Tshisekedi with pupils from Kinshasa
In addition, President Tshisekedi has reiterated the Government’s commitment, under his leadership, to persevere in the fight to obtain this international recognition of the Congolese genocide, despite diplomatic obstacles. ‘DRC, faithful to its international commitments taken on, in particular through the Genocide Convention and the Rome Statute, will spare no effort to ensure that justice is done, that the dignity of our victims is restored and that the true history of our country is finally written by the Congolese themselves,’ he has reassured. The President of the Republic has also recalled that various ‘indisputable’ reports by international bodies demonstrate the existence of a genuine Congolese genocide. ‘In the face of these atrocious crimes, long ignored or minimised by the international community, the truth is finally beginning to emerge. Various detailed and indisputable United Nations reports have clearly established the reality of countless crimes and massive violations of human rights and international humanitarian law committed on Congolese soil since 1993. These atrocious acts, perpetrated directly or indirectly by certain neighbouring countries, in particular Rwanda, through negative forces that it creates, trains, arms and supports, no longer leave any doubt as to the existence of a genuine genocide’, has said Felix Tshisekedi.
On August 2nd, 2023, DRC has had the first national commemoration of a solemn day dedicated to the memory of the tens of millions of Congolese who have been the victims of indescribable barbarity and cruelty in recent decades, with the aim of promoting a better understanding of Genocost (genocide for economic and financial gain) in Kinshasa and the rest of the country.