The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) marked a solemn national day of remembrance on August 2, honoring millions of victims of decades-long conflict.
The commemoration, held at the Genocost Memorial in Kinshasa, was attended by government officials, artists, and diaspora figures, including Innos B, Werrason, Youssoupha, and influencer Didi Stone.
Organized by the Congolese government and the National Reparations Fund for Victims (FONAREV), the ceremony spotlighted the brutal scale of violence tied to conflicts, particularly in the resource-rich eastern provinces.
FONAREV Deputy Director-General Emmanuella Zandi stressed that the remembrance marked overdue recognition of mass atrocities — war crimes, crimes against humanity, and possible acts of genocide.
The term “Genocost” was used to describe massacres driven by the illegal exploitation of minerals and other natural resources. UN reports, including the 2010 Mapping Project, have indicated that such crimes may meet the threshold of genocide.
Documentaries were screened at the event, while survivors shared harrowing testimonies — many anonymously — recounting killings, rape, and mass displacement.
President Félix Tshisekedi, in a powerful address, urged the international community to acknowledge the atrocities as genocide.
“If the world still hesitates to recognize this tragedy, we will not wait. We are the first witnesses — and we will lead the fight for justice,” he said.
The event concluded with the symbolic lighting of the Genocost flame — a tribute to victims and a call for accountability.
