Human Rights Day: Catholic Official Calls for Justice against Perpetrators of Abuses in Eastern DR Congo

Butembo-Beni, 11 December, 2024 / 3:25 PM

On the occasion of the annual Human Rights Day marked on December 10, the Director of the Diocesan Commission for Justice and Peace (CDJP) in the Catholic Diocese of Butembo-Beni, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has called for justice for victims of human rights violations in the Eastern part of the country. 

Addressing journalists on Tuesday, December 10 in Butembo, Fr. Aurélien Kambale Rukwata underscored the need for accountability amid violent conflicts characterized by massacres and displacements.

Fr. Rukwata highlighted the plight of civilians caught in ongoing violence resulting from clashes between the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) and rebels associated with the March 23 Movement (M23).

“These violations harm individuals created in the image of God and must not go unpunished,” he said.

Fr. Rukwata underscored the need for fair justice, urging both national and international legal systems to “act decisively.”

“These thousands of people who are killed senselessly – justice must one day address this. If the State itself fails to deliver justice, international mechanisms, such as the International Criminal Court (ICC), must step in,” the Congolese Catholic Priest said.

He continued, “I am delighted to learn that the ICC plans to investigate crimes in North Kivu. I fully support this move.”

Fr. Rukwata called for immediate ICC investigations into crimes in North Kivu and Ituri, saying, “swift action would discourage potential violators and uphold the rule of law.”

Addressing the recent debate on reinstating the death penalty in DRC, Fr. Rukwata reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to the sanctity of life. He faulted the lifting of the 20-year moratorium on capital punishment and urged authorities to focus on building strong institutions instead. 

“The death penalty was abolished as a milestone for humanity. The Church’s position is clear: we protect life. Resorting to death is a failure,” the Congolese CDJP official said.

Violence in Eastern DRC has created a severe humanitarian crisis with more than 5.5 million people displaced from their homes, reportedly the third-highest number of internally displaced people in the world.

A February 14 United Nations report indicated that civilians in Eastern DRC “are bearing the brunt of localized violence, amid a sharp uptick in fighting between Government forces and the M23 armed group.”

More than 120 armed groups are fighting for control of the Eastern DRC, a region rich with natural resource

At the December 10 press conference on the sidelines of the annual Human Rights Day, Fr. Rukwata appealed to the people of God in DRC to be “agents of peace” and encouraged the reporting of human rights violations.

The CDJP Director in Butembo-Beni Diocese also emphasized the Church’s commitment to “uphold justice and human dignity in the face of persistent challenges in the DRC.”