DRC: Félix Tshisekedi announces a national Genocide museum and a strengthened memory policy.

The official ceremony took place at the Genocost Memorial, presided over by Félix Tshisekedi. The head of state again denounced the aggression attributed to Rwanda and the AFC-M23, while reaffirming the commitment of Congolese institutions to truth, justice, and reparations.

In front of the memorial, survivors of violence sang a song with great emotion. Among them, a woman who was a victim of sexual violence and became orphaned during the conflict also recounted the death of her husband, who was killed by a shell during the capture of Goma by the AFC-M23 in early 2025.

The survivor called for those responsible for the crimes to be held accountable for their actions, asserting that the blood of the victims demanded justice. Félix Tshisekedi assured her that their suffering would never be forgotten and that their right to truth, justice, reparations, and security would be defended.

The government plans to create a national Genocost museum. The establishment will gather archives, testimonies, material evidence, and scientific works related to the violence committed in eastern DRC.

Parliament is also called upon to adopt new texts aimed at strengthening transitional justice and protecting memorial heritage. Authorities also wish to combat the falsification of history and continue their international advocacy to recognize the crimes committed on Congolese territory.

The commemoration comes as fighting continues in the eastern part of the country between Congolese forces and AFC-M23 rebels, who are allegedly supported by Rwanda, according to Kinshasa. Kigali rejects these accusations, while the advance of the armed movement has caused new displacements and worsened an already deep humanitarian crisis.

The president of the Genocost committee in Haut-Katanga, Duc M’Buyi, reminded that commemorating the dead is a duty of memory and a bulwark against forgetting. Ceremonies organized over the past three years aim to firmly embed the memory of the victims in institutions and public spaces.

Criticism on the Political Future

Nobel Peace Prize winner Denis Mukwege, however, provided a very critical view of the political situation. While President Tshisekedi claims to want to end cycles of violence, the doctor accuses his regime of considering a constitutional amendment that could allow for the extension of a mandate set to end in 2028.

Denis Mukwege labeled this initiative as a dangerous move. According to him, such a reform could provoke new internal destabilization, escalate political tensions, and lead to further loss of life among the Congolese population.

The Congolese government makes the recognition of Genocost a major axis of its diplomacy. It aims to achieve better recognition of the crimes committed in eastern DRC while continuing the announced efforts in transitional justice and the preservation of evidence.