Democratic Republic of the Congo - Q&A from the press briefing (5 October 2020)

Q: October 1 was the 10th anniversary of the Mapping Report published by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, dealing with the crimes committed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo between 1993 and 2003. But 10 years later, the recommendations of that investigation have still not been applied. Congolese civil society, joined by 2018 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Denis Mukwege, urged the international community to react so that those responsible for these crimes are brought to justice. What has France done or what can it do to implement the conclusions of the Mapping report?

A: France is actively engaged in the fight against impunity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and reaffirms its condemnation of the abuses that are still being committed in the eastern part of the country.

At the UN Security Council, it works to ensure that MONUSCO has a rigorous mandate in that regard. It also encouraged the UN and the EU to adopt restrictive measures against individuals responsible for serious human rights violations. It supports the efforts of the International Criminal Court, which is dealing with the situation in the DRC. On the bilateral level, our country is working with Congolese officials to strengthen the judiciary, especially in the area of training, with support from the National Institute of Judicial Training (INAFORJ).

As for the UN’s Mapping Report on the serious human rights violations committed in the DRC between 1993 and 2003, it is up to the Congolese authorities to determine how they are following up on it.