Kinshasa: Amnesty International has launched a campaign titled "6 Million Voices for Justice for Congo," aiming to gather signatures from six million people worldwide to demand accountability for the atrocities committed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over the past three decades. This initiative seeks justice for victims and survivors of the prolonged conflict that has claimed an estimated six million lives.According to Amnesty International, the campaign calls for the establishment of an international judicial mechanism to investigate crimes under international law committed by various actors, including Congolese and foreign security forces, armed groups, and others between 1993 and 2003. The organization emphasizes the urgent need for justice, highlighting that victims and survivors have awaited accountability for decades, yet many perpetrators remain unpunished.Vongai Chikwanda, Amnesty International's Deputy Regional Director for Campaigns in East and Southern Africa, questions how much lon ger the Congolese people must wait for justice. Chikwanda urges President Tshisekedi to collaborate with the African Union and United Nations to create an effective international judicial mechanism. This mechanism would investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the specified period and ensure reparations for victims, including compensation, rehabilitation, and restitution.The campaign also advocates for the adoption of a law to establish mixed chambers within the DRC's appeals courts, competent for all crimes under international law committed within the country. Furthermore, it calls for a tribunal comprising Congolese and foreign judges to address crimes committed during the Congo wars from 1993 to 2003.Amnesty International proposes the establishment of 1 October as an annual Day of Reflection and Action on Crimes under International Law Committed in the DRC. This date marks the release of the United Nations Mapping Report in 2010, which documented extensive human rights abuses and war crimes in the DRC. The day would serve as a moment of remembrance, education, and renewed commitment to justice.The ongoing conflict in eastern DRC, rooted in the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, continues to impact civilians, with over a hundred active armed groups currently in the region. Amnesty International stands in solidarity with the victims and invites global participation in the campaign to address the legacy of mass atrocities in the DRC.
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