DRC calls tribunal after 17,015 violations report on Goma, Bukavu

DRC officials say a newly presented report documenting alleged human rights violations in Goma and Bukavu will be used to push for new accountability and justice measures, including a proposed international tribunal as cited by 7sur7.

The report, presented at the close of a workshop in Kinshasa, cites 17,015 cases in the two eastern cities, including allegations of killings, abductions, and torture or other inhuman treatment. The document was compiled by experts from sector ministries, civil society and NGOs, according to the organisers. The documented violations were committed by the M23/AFC, according to the findings shared at the event.

Human Rights Minister Samuel Mbemba said recommendations include advocating for an international criminal tribunal for crimes committed in the DRC, strengthening defence and security capacity, increasing the number of magistrates, and establishing transitional justice mechanisms. Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka said she would take the recommendations “to the highest level,” according to organisers.

The announcement lands amid heightened international scrutiny of abuses in North and South Kivu. The UN Human Rights Office has previously warned that serious violations in the region by multiple parties may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Authorities also linked the reported violations to displacement pressures. Recent reporting has placed overall displacement in the DRC at more than 7 million, amid recurring conflict and instability in the east.

Source: 7sur7