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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

Genocost 2022

Genocost2022 – Journée Commémorative du Génocide Congolais

Theme: Mémoire et Espoir
Le 2/08/2022 à 19:30 Kin/Ldn sur Twitter Space @Genocost
Venez découvrir l’histoire du Genocost, les témoignages de ses membres fondateurs ainsi que des activistes du Congo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Genocost 2021 Commemoration of the Congolese Geneocide

Every August 2, we invite the Congolese community and friends of Congo around the world to take part in a day of remembrance. This annual event is a simple gesture to honor the lives of all those we have lost in the many conflicts in DR Congo. The event is called “Geno-Cost” combining both the term “Geno” for genocide and “Cost” to highlight the economic roots of the conflicts.

This year, the event took place online on Sunday August 1st at 5:00 p.m. (Kin/Ldn) on Tele Tshangu A replay was rebroadcast on August 2 on Voice of Congo

Our main guest was Jean-Jacques Wondo Omanyundu, consultant, analyst and expert in political, geostrategic and military issues and member of the think tank Afridesk who discussed the theme of impunity, our chosen theme for this year, with a focus in the Congolese army. He was followed by, Douce Namwezi N’Ibamba, journalist and director of the Uwezo Afrika Initiative which promotes the empowerment of women and girls through entrepreneurship and founder of the Requiem Pour la peace, a masterful work performed in the DRCongo to serve as a symbolic act of memory, contemplation and mourning for Congolese men and women. She discussed with us the importance of the work of the duty of memory. Throughout the event, there were also performances by Congolese artists including the slammer Linda Light and the slammer Ben Kamuntu, both from Goma, but also the choir of Les Petits Chanteurs Saint Gilles from Bukavu. We also heard the testimony of a survivor member of the National Movement of Survivors of Rape and Sexual Violence in the DRC.

This day of commemoration was an opportunity to assess and explore solutions that can concretely end impunity in DR Congo.

The Geno-Cost movement will continue to fight for an end to the atrocities in the DRC and the unawareness of the genocide in the DRC so that justice is done. To learn more about the movement and become an ambassador for the cause, visit our page how to organize the Geno-cost.