on October 1, 2010, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights published the report of the mapping project. serious crimes perpetrated on the soil of Congo-Zaire between March 1993 and June 2003. This report listed 617 incidents to which the most serious violations of human rights relate, including war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The report also took stock of the capacity of the national justice system, and proposed justice options to deal with the consequences of these crimes.

To date

Apart from some progress made at the legislative level and a few prosecutions carried out sparingly by the Congolese courts, the crimes documented in this 'Mapping Report' remain largely unpunished.

Meanwhile, new serious crimes continue to be committed on a large scale on Congolese territory, including by the same actors as those who raged between 1993 and 2003, armed with the impunity they enjoy and the military influence. , political and / or economic that they have retained, even strengthened, in the DRC and in the sub-region.

this anniversary is an auspicious occasion

to take stock of the progress made in matters of truth, justice and reparations in the DRC over the past few years, on the remaining obstacles and challenges, and on the ways and means to overcome them to quench the thirst for justice and

Unfortunately, 10 years later, the report is bitter and implacable

 nothing has really changed in terms of human rights, says he.

The same crimes continue blithely without stopping, the victims are left to fend for themselves without any reparation or justice, or even the simple truth.

Why 10 years of silence after this report?

firstly, the Congolese state has never made this report its hobbyhorse.

And for good reason, the Congolese state is fragile and failing, its justice is incapable of prosecuting the perpetrators of crimes.

And then, a number of alleged perpetrators of these crimes occupy important positions in the highest levels of the State

the lack of international funding and probably political will.

In fact, in order to apply the Mapping recommendations, in particular those concerning transitional justice, funds must be mobilized.

And the main donors are not jostling each other

the action of powerful lobbies who are working to freeze or even fossilize the Mapping Report.

These lobbies are driven, for some by large economic and financial interests behind the looting and trafficking of natural resources that accompanied or motivated the crimes criticized.

lastly, we find the resistance of certain countries accused in the report (Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, etc.) and of certain individuals suspected of having perpetrated these crimes and assuming high political and / or security responsibilities in the States of the region.

it is time that the political and military leaders of the most serious crimes committed in the DRC between 1993 and 2003 answer for their actions

the advent of restorative justice is essential to build peace in the country.

Publicly disclosing the names of those responsible, registered in the database of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, could help to remove them from power, bring them to justice and free the word of victims and witnesses who would no longer be forced to live in fear of reprisals from their torturers.

The Mapping Report, he concludes, should no longer be a taboo subject