United States-led efforts to end the current armed conflict in Africa’s Great Lakes region appear oblivious to one of the key drivers of the hostilities: the region’s history of failing to punish those responsible for atrocities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
So far, talks have resulted in the governments of Congo and Rwanda signing a “declaration of principles,” promising to craft a draft peace deal. The US mediation attempts to tie peace and security to economic integration and development for the region. The principles acknowledge Rwanda’s and Congo’s “shared interest” in limiting the proliferation of armed groups and their “commit[ment] to refrain from providing state military support to non-state armed groups.”
If genuine, this could be an important step, given that states supporting abusive armed groups are facilitating war crimes.
US President Donald Trump’s senior advisor for Africa, Massad Boulos, also made clear that any peace deal will be accompanied by a minerals deal, enabling US and multinational companies to invest in Congolese mines and infrastructure projects. Given how competition for resources drives human rights abuses in mineral-rich areas throughout Congo, it is imperative that the link between conflict, abuse, corruption, and resource exploitation be properly addressed.
What has so far been absent from the peace negotiations, however, is the question of who is responsible for abuses in Congo, and how they should be held accountable.
Both the Rwandan and Congolese armed forces have committed numerous grave abuses in eastern Congo and have backed armed groups that have murdered, raped, and looted. Commitments to cease military support for these groups show no sign of materializing, and no one has yet been brought to justice for providing such support.
Congolese victims and their families, activists, church leaders, and justice practitioners continue to call for an end to abuses. They also reaffirm an unequivocal demand for justice. Domestic justice efforts – which the current crisis has severely hampered – along with the International Criminal Court’s renewed investigation in Congo and other initiatives aimed at closing the accountability gap need strong, consistent support.
Any peace deal for Congo should support efforts to deliver justice for the victims of the devastating crimes committed during this conflict, as well as conflicts over previous decades.
