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Amnesty International published a briefing on the Kisangani War Thursday, urging the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to prosecute those responsible for crimes committed against civilians during the conflict. The organization recounted how, in the 25 years since the war’s end, the Congolese still strive for justice and wait for compensation for the victims of the atrocities committed by the belligerents.
In its briefing, Amnesty International highlighted the absence of any criminal investigation or trial, either within the DRC or internationally, for the atrocities committed during the conflict, including alleged killings, home pillages and rape. According to Amnesty’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa Tigere Chagutah, this lack of accountability has led to “a cycle” of violent conflicts in the DRC, with similar crimes being committed against civilians. Chagutah argued that it is the responsibility of Congolese judicial authorities to investigate and prosecute all those responsible for crimes committed on DRC territory.
The human rights group collected testimonies from over 50 people, including war survivors and civil society organizations, all of whom expressed that their most urgent demand is the establishment of courts and judicial process for those involved in the killings and crimes during the conflict. Amnesty noted a lack of political will from Congolese authorities to investigate these crimes and hold trials, which has eroded the public trust in the country’s judicial system and government.
Furthermore, the organization stressed that justice would not be complete without the implementation of a reparation programme. Chagutah stated that the DRC has an obligation to “offer adequate, effective and prompt reparations to victims following genuine consultations with survivors and civil society.”
The Kisangani War, also known as the Six-Day War, began on June 5, 2000 and saw a series of armed confrontations between Ugandan and Rwandan forces in the city of Kisangani in the DRC. The war was part of a broader conflict between the two countries that began in August 1999, and the Kisangani War is considered one of its most lethal and violent episodes. It devastated Kisangani and resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries. Both fighting forces used heavy weaponry against civilians.
Because the International Criminal Court (ICC) does not have jurisdiction over crimes committed before 2002, the responsibility for investigating the conflict and pursuing justice falls primarily on DRC government shoulders. However, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in 2022 that Uganda must pay the DRC $325 million in reparations for “damage to persons and to property.” Rwanda was not held accountable as the ICJ lacked jurisdiction.
The Congolese government has created a trust fund to compensate victims of Uganda’s armed activities in the DRC, but has faced criticism for its lack of transparency and mismanagement.
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In its briefing, Amnesty International highlighted the absence of any criminal investigation or trial, either within the DRC or internationally, for the atrocities committed during the conflict, including alleged killings, home pillages and rape. According to Amnesty’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa Tigere Chagutah, this lack of accountability has led to “a cycle” of violent conflicts in the DRC, with similar crimes being committed against civilians. Chagutah argued that it is the responsibility of Congolese judicial authorities to investigate and prosecute all those responsible for crimes committed on DRC territory.
The human rights group collected testimonies from over 50 people, including war survivors and civil society organizations, all of whom expressed that their most urgent demand is the establishment of courts and judicial process for those involved in the killings and crimes during the conflict. Amnesty noted a lack of political will from Congolese authorities to investigate these crimes and hold trials, which has eroded the public trust in the country’s judicial system and government.
Furthermore, the organization stressed that justice would not be complete without the implementation of a reparation programme. Chagutah stated that the DRC has an obligation to “offer adequate, effective and prompt reparations to victims following genuine consultations with survivors and civil society.”
The Kisangani War, also known as the Six-Day War, began on June 5, 2000 and saw a series of armed confrontations between Ugandan and Rwandan forces in the city of Kisangani in the DRC. The war was part of a broader conflict between the two countries that began in August 1999, and the Kisangani War is considered one of its most lethal and violent episodes. It devastated Kisangani and resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries. Both fighting forces used heavy weaponry against civilians.
Because the International Criminal Court (ICC) does not have jurisdiction over crimes committed before 2002, the responsibility for investigating the conflict and pursuing justice falls primarily on DRC government shoulders. However, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in 2022 that Uganda must pay the DRC $325 million in reparations for “damage to persons and to property.” Rwanda was not held accountable as the ICJ lacked jurisdiction.
The Congolese government has created a trust fund to compensate victims of Uganda’s armed activities in the DRC, but has faced criticism for its lack of transparency and mismanagement.
The post Rights group urges DRC to investigate Kisangani war crimes and compensate victims appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.