The Democratic Republic of Congo has officially commemorated August 2 as “GENOCOST Day,” a national period of mourning and mobilization to recognize atrocities tied to decades of resource-fueled conflict. President Félix Tshisekedi used the 2025 remembrance events to urge lawmakers and international bodies to finally acknowledge these mass atrocities as genocide driven not by ideology but by economic exploitation.
From Resource Conflict to Genocidal Loss
Since the mid‑1990s, eastern DRC has endured an unrelenting cycle of violence in mineral‑rich provinces such as North and South Kivu, Ituri, Maniema and Tanganyika. Foreign and domestic armed groups have repeatedly seized control of gold, coltan, cobalt and other valuable resources, financing sustained warfare through illicit extraction. The resulting human toll is staggering: an estimated 6 to 12 million lives lost, millions displaced, and countless abuses including mass rape, forced displacement, and child recruitment
The term “GENOCOST” blending of “genocide” and “cost” was first coined in 2013 by youth-led civil society groups to describe this atrocity: mass killings executed primarily for economic gain. In December 2022, a legislative act formally designated August 2 as a national remembrance day by law n° 22/065
National Remembrance Becomes International Appeal
At this year’s ceremony, Congo inaugurated the official GENOCOST Memorial in Kinshasa near the National Museum. President Tshisekedi addressed the nation and diaspora, stating that the atrocities committed on Congolese territory meet the legal criteria for genocide under the 1948 UN Convention. He urged Parliament to adopt a resolution recognizing GENOCOST and pledged to campaign internationally, including at the UN General Assembly in September
Accompanied by cultural leaders and representatives of the diaspora, Tshisekedi declared: “If the world hesitates to recognize this as genocide, we will not wait. We are the first witnesses.”
Civil Society and State Launch GENOCOST Roundtable
Parallel to state commemoration, a roundtable initiative led by civil society, FONAREV and President Tshisekedi was launched in Kinshasa. It brought together public officials, researchers and victims’ representatives to define the budget of lives lost, establish memorialization strategies, and demand pathways to justice
Statistics shared during the event include over 10 million lives lost, 6 million internally displaced persons, and more than 200 mass graves uncovered these are incidents tied to wars over Congo’s minerals. The roundtable aims to integrate GENOCOST into education, media, public policy and national dialogue ensuring remembrance becomes a central pillar of collective prevention.
Why GENOCOST Merits Legal Recognition
Many legal scholars and civil society advocates underline that GENOCOST transcends political or ethnic violence it is characterized by mass atrocities rooted in exploitation of natural wealth. In the United Nations Mapping Report of 2010 and subsequent investigations, evidence of killings, systematic rape and forced displacement triggered by economic drivers was documented
However, the concept remains contested in legal discourse. Experts argue that for GENOCOST to attain formal recognition, its scope and legal definition must be sharpened under international statute. Some fear broad interpretation may weaken prosecutorial efforts unless clearly codified
International Criticism and the Humanitarian Crisis
The global response to Congo’s resource wars has often been polarized. While international minerals markets thrive on cobalt and coltan from DRC, the Congolese population endures extreme poverty, violence and displacement. Reports show that millions including children work in unsafe mining conditions, fueling electronics supply chains without benefiting economically
Despite the media silence, civil society voices and diaspora campaigns staged GENOCOST events in over two dozen cities worldwide in 2024 from Brussels and Frankfurt to Atlanta and Nairobi underscoring global solidarity with the victims
Challenges Ahead: Accountability, Legal Clarity, and Reform
Recognizing GENOCOST requires bold political will. Critics argue that while symbolic action matters, the government must also establish national mechanisms to prosecute alleged perpetrators many of whom include Congolese military leaders implicated in armed conflict abuses
Fonarev’s Deputy Director emphasized the need for a holistic approach: legislative recognition must be matched with reparations, transitional justice frameworks, and integration of GENOCOST into educational curricula
What This Means for Congo and the World
Recognition of GENOCOST marks a pivotal inflection point: moving beyond victimhood to national agency, and confronting the economic roots of violence. For Congo, it is a long overdue affirmation that mass outrage and loss cannot remain invisible.
Globally, acknowledging GENOCOST sends a message: resource-rich countries deserve respect for sovereignty over their own wealth, not systematic plunder backed by impunity. It also signals that international norms on genocide and crimes against humanity must evolve to include economic motives where civilian death tolls are vast.
Conclusion: Towards Memory, Justice, and Future Peace
By elevating GENOCOST from collective grief to legal recognition, the Democratic Republic of Congo is demanding both national resolve and international accountability. This is not merely symbolic—it is the beginning of a movement towards truth, reparations, and peace.
For victims, it offers recognition and a path toward recovery. For Congo, it supports sovereignty and memory. For the world, it becomes a test of conscience: whether economic progress can ever justify indifference to millions of lost lives.
With Parliament urged to act, international forums awaiting DRC’s plea for genocide designation, and memorial institutions now rising, GENOCOST could become a milestone turning point a commitment to “never forget,” and a demand that “never repeat.”
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