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Christmas with Homeless Children: A Glimmer of Hope

Kinshasa, DRC – On December 25, the CAYP RDC team joined forces with Cris des Mères and CATSR to offer a moment of joy to the street children of the Likemo Center in Kinshasa.

Thanks to successful fundraising, these children were able to enjoy a Christmas meal and participate in various entertainment activities, such as music, dance and Capoeira. Our volunteers also shared words of encouragement to remind these children that they are not alone.

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Noël avec les Enfants des Rues : Une Lueur d’Espoir

Kinshasa, RDC – Le 25 Décembre dernier, l’équipe de CAYP RDC a uni ses forces avec Cris des Mères et CATSR pour offrir un moment de joie aux enfants des rues du Centre Likemo à Kinshasa.

Grâce à une collecte de fonds réussie, ces enfants ont pu savourer un repas de Noël et participer à diverses activités de divertissement, telles que la musique, la danse et la Capoeira. Nos bénévoles ont également partagé des mots d’encouragement pour rappeler à ces enfants qu’ils ne sont pas seuls.

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Genocost 2023 in Kinshasa

Genocost 2023 is a milestone for the recognition of the Genocide in DR Congo

 

Genocost 2023 in Kinshasa
Genocost 2023 in Kinshasa

This marks a milestone in the ten years of a campaign of the Congolese Action Youth Platform (CAYP), which initiated the Genocost campaign in London in 2011 and worked tirelessly for the recognition of the genocides and crimes against humanity perpetrated against the people of DR Congo for economic gain called the Genocost.  A contraction between genocide and cost referring to the crimes committed in the country for economic gain. 

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Communiqué du 01.08.2023

Dans le cadre de l’organisation de la commémoration des victimes du GenoCost ce 2 août 2023, nous, CAYP, des associations de victimes et les mouvements citoyens congolais, souhaitons réagir à ce qui apparaît comme une tentative de récupération de cette journée mémorielle à des fins politiciennes et partisanes.  À la suite de nos échanges avec les délégués du FONAREV et ceux du cabinet de la Première Dame Denise Nyakeru à ce sujet, nous tenons à éclairer l’opinion sur les points suivants :

  • Communique of the Genocost

1.  La commémoration du GenoCost (Genocide des Congolais) le 2 août de chaque année est une initiative citoyenne lancée il y a 10 ans par la plateforme CAYP (Congolese Action Youth Platform) pour lutter contre le silence, la minimisation, le déni de justice et l’oubli concernant les crimes graves commis en RDC, ayant engendré plus de 10 millions de victimes, 6 millions de déplacés internes et plus de 500 000 femmes violées à ce jour.

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Le coût du Genocost : Rejoignez-nous pour une journée de commémoration et de réflexion

Genocost 2023 in Kinshasa

Londres, 5 Juillet 2023 – Nous sommes ravis de vous annoncer Genocost 2023, un événement de commémoration en ligne dédié à la sensibilisation sur le génocide congolais et à son impact profond en République démocratique du Congo. Se déroulant le 2 août, CAYP invite des personnes du monde entier à se joindre à nous pour la réflexion, l’éducation et la solidarité. L’événement sera diffusé en ligne tout au long de la journée, avec des rassemblements physiques à Paris et à Kinshasa.

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Commemoration of Genocost 2022 Marked with Events in DRC and the Diaspora

The rapper Youssoupha speaking to the people at Genocost 2022
Rapper Youssoupha alongside activists at Genocost Commemoration 2022 Kinshasa

August 2, 2022, marked the 10th commemoration of the Genocost, a solemn day observed with events held in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as well as in the diaspora.

The Genocost team collaborated with activist groups, civil society members, and individuals from various political backgrounds to coordinate commemorative events throughout the country. Filimbi, la Lucha, and Mouvement des Indigne were amongst the collectives that join their effort to mobilise the masses in the capital.

In Kinshasa, the day’s activities commenced with a meeting held around noon by members of the ECIDE political party. A short mass was conducted to honour those who have passed away. Following this, several speakers emphasized the significance of commemorating this day and sought official recognition of Genocost as a day of remembrance in DR Congo, both nationally and internationally.

Martin Fayulu, the leader of the party, delivered a pivotal speech in which he reiterated the call for the establishment of an International Criminal Tribunal and demanded that the United Nations exhume the DRC mapping report.

  • crowd of people gathered at night at the place du Genocost in Kinshasa
  • Genocost commemoration 2022 Kinshasa

In the evening, a large crowd gathered in the former Place des évolués, which has been renamed Place de la Mémoire des Victimes du Genocost. This name change was one of the requests put forth by collective activist groups of civil society in a memorandum addressed to the DRC government and handed over to Fabrice Puela, the Minister of Human Rights.

The gathering in Kinshasa was one of the largest ever witnessed during the commemoration day, with hundreds of people occupying the square. Wooden crosses were arranged on the grass as a tribute to the millions of lives lost in the genocides and war crimes of the Genocost. This commemoration served as a moment of exchange, allowing representatives from all corners of the Congo to share their stories.

Simultaneously, a similar gathering took place in Kivu and Kikwit, where young people gathered, holding Congolese flags, displaying banners, and lighting candles at sunset to pay tribute to the victims.

The evening’s events were followed by a Twitter space hosted by the Genocost team, providing an opportunity for people from around the world to connect and join in the commemoration.

The year 2022 marked a significant milestone for the Genocost campaign, as it garnered the attention and support of acting members of the DRC government. Numerous activist organizations and civil society members collaborated to organize events, and for the first time, officials of the Congolese government participated in the commemoration of the genocide. Fabrice Puela, the Minister of Human Rights, addressed the large crowd, promising to present the memorandum from civil society and activist groups to the government.

Amongst those requests were four key points.

  • The recognition of the 2nd of August as a national day of commemoration of the Congolese genocide. 
  • Bringing an end to the ongoing atrocity and working toward long-lasting peace. 
  • Justice and reparations for the victims through the creation of a International Criminal Tribunal for the DR Congo.
  • The building of Memorials for the victims. 

These are the key points on which the coalition will continue to campaign, striving to bring peace and justice to the millions of innocent lives affected in the DR Congo. The governor also pledged to rename locations previously known as Place des Évolués to Place du Genocost. Now, the Congolese in Kinshasa will have an annual gathering place on August 2 each year.

The collective effort of activists from the DRC and London made this possible, and their hard work will continue to drive the movement for peace and justice.

By Sly Bloodcoltan