Kinshasa, April 26th, 2024 (CPA). – An alert has been issued by the Minister in charge of Gender, Family and Children (GFAE) in Kananga, Kasai Central (DRC), regarding the shortage of magistrates that is hindering the prosecution of gender-based violence (GBV), during the evaluation of a project, CPA has learned on Saturday from an official source.
“I insist, following this meeting, on the need to ensure the continuity of services beyond international funding. I reaffirm my commitment to advocate to the central government to strengthen the human and material resources of the judicial sector in Kananga to combat these scourges,” has declared Micheline Ombae, Minister in charge of GFAE. For the minister, the institutional response must change paradigm. “The fight against gender-based violence must become a sustainable public policy, and not an action dependent on projects,” she has added. Although 70 convictions for sexual violence have been recorded—a welcome step forward in the fight against impunity—Micheline Ombae has highlighted the system’s shortcomings, particularly the inadequate support provided to victims during appeal proceedings. “The glaring shortage of magistrates is slowing down the processing of cases and risks undermining the progress made. Hence the need to strengthen the coordination between the various links in the criminal justice chain in order to improve the flow of proceedings and judicial efficiency,” she has emphasised. During the evaluation of a multi-sectorial project supported by South Korean cooperation (KOICA) and UN agencies, notably the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the minister has emphasised the need to ensure the sustainability of the achievements beyond the provision of external aid.
For their part, the local judicial and security actors have pleaded for a continuous strengthening of capacities in order to consolidate the mechanisms for the protection of women and girls in this post-conflict area of Greater Kasai.