The Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rose Mutombo, and the Attorney General of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, signed, Thursday June 1 in Kinshasa, a protocol of cooperation agreement, in the presence of Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi.
This agreement, which is to fight against impunity for war crimes and against humanity committed in eastern DRC, comes at the end of a four-day working mission in the country by Karim Khan .
Arrived Monday, May 29 in Kinshasa, the prosecutor then went to the east of the country where he said he « saw children who were raped, who gave birth to children who in turn were raped » . For him, “this cycle will continue, unless we build new partnerships”.
During the signing ceremony, Karim Khan said that the agreement should provide an opportunity for both signatory parties to materialize « a will to work hard, to deliver justice, to consider more imaginative options, a holistic solution including transitional justice, international justice and local justice”.
According to the prosecutor, while many actions have been accomplished in favor of the victims in the country, much remains to be done as well. “We have to recognize that, you have done a lot. Your country has done a lot of things, but the but remains. The appeal must be accelerated, we must accelerate the settlement”.
“How to accelerate? he wondered, before replying that “we have to do things differently. To have a much more holistic approach, a much more general approach to ensure that we will not stay there another 20 years later talking about these crimes”.
The prosecutor also underlined the ICC’s desire to work with the DRC in a “new dynamic (…) to do better”.
In his statements, the Congolese president returned to the aggression of Rwanda which would support the M23 rebellion currently active in the eastern part of the DRC. “In recent years, acts of aggression targeting a member state such as those currently unjustly directed against the Democratic Republic of Congo by one of its neighbors have multiplied (…) Faced with this reality, it is important that Member States can reaffirm their adherence to the values of the Court ».
By OMA Newsletter N° 1200 of 02/06/2023
Article published under the direction of Dr. Najib Kettani
The OMA, NGO with an Intercontinental vocation
For the development of cultural exchanges
Valuing human potential
The promotion and consolidation of Africa’s development, and
Inter-African integration
