Two Democratic Republic of Congo institutions have launched an international petition calling for formal recognition of decades of atrocities committed in the country, with the campaign already attracting more than 5,000 verified signatures on Change.org.
The initiative is being led by the National Fund for Victim Reparations (FONAREV) and the Interministerial Commission for Victim Assistance and Reform Support (CIA-VAR), which argue that international acknowledgement of the violence is a crucial step towards justice, reparations and sustainable peace.
Paris launch draws international audience
The petition was officially unveiled during La Traversée – The Forgotten Genocide of the DRC, an event held at the end of May at the Pavillon Vendôme in Paris.
Several hundred attendees, including political representatives, diplomats, academics, cultural figures, civil society organisations and members of the Congolese diaspora, participated in the launch.
According to sources familiar with the initiative, officials from FONAREV and CIA-VAR later travelled to Brussels, where they held discussions with Members of the European Parliament and advisers linked to the European People’s Party, European Conservatives and Reformists, and Patriots for Europe political groups.
Campaign centred on ‘Genocost’
The petition urges national governments, regional bodies, international institutions, African organisations and the wider international community to formally acknowledge what its organisers describe as three decades of mass atrocities in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Central to the campaign is the concept of ‘Genocost’, a term incorporated into Congolese law in December 2022. According to FONAREV and CIA-VAR, the concept reflects their view that violence in the country has been driven in part by the illegal exploitation of natural resources for economic gain.
The two institutions contend that broader international recognition would strengthen efforts to hold perpetrators accountable while improving access to reparations and support for victims.
Humanitarian evidence cited by organisers
The organisations point to a range of international reports and studies in support of their campaign.
The International Rescue Committee has previously published estimates suggesting that conflict and its indirect consequences in the DRC have contributed to millions of deaths, including an estimated 5.4 million between 1998 and 2003, although methodologies and overall casualty estimates have been the subject of discussion among researchers.
Meanwhile, the UN Mapping Report published in 2010 documented hundreds of alleged serious violations committed between 1993 and 2003. The report stated that some incidents, if established before a competent court, could potentially be characterised as acts of genocide under international law, while stressing that judicial proceedings would be required to determine legal responsibility.
The humanitarian toll remains severe. Millions of people are internally displaced, while mass graves have been documented in several parts of the country, including Kisangani, Kivu and Ituri.
FONAREV says it has registered more than 250,000 victims in the eastern provinces for compensation initiatives and legal support programmes.
Supporters call for greater awareness
The petition has attracted messages of support from signatories who say the international community should pay greater attention to the suffering endured by Congolese communities.
Loic, from Montmorency in France, who attended the Paris launch, wrote: ‘Attending the Genocost event this evening has made me fully aware of the gravity of what has been happening in Congo for more than 30 years. My full support to the victims and all those affected by this tragedy.’
Another supporter, identified as Dedieu, commented: ‘To remain silent is to be complicit in what is happening in Congo.’
Lilas, who said family members live in conflict-affected areas including Goma, called for increased international attention to communities that have endured years of insecurity and violence.
Christian, another signatory, argued that crimes committed in the DRC deserve greater international recognition and remembrance.
Organisers seek wider international backing
A spokesperson for FONAREV described the petition as an effort to mobilise international support for victims and increase awareness of the scale of the humanitarian crisis.
‘We want to raise awareness and engage as many actors in the international community as possible to take a stand and support the vital work being carried out by FONAREV and CIA-VAR in the DRC,’ the spokesperson said.
‘To misname things is to add to the world’s misfortunes. To not name them at all is to deny our humanity, and that is why we created La Traversée.’
The petition remains open on Change.org as campaigners seek broader international support for recognition, justice and remembrance for victims of violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
