YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon – Amid ongoing carnage and abuse related to the exploitation of mineral wealth in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s largely lawless eastern regions, a Catholic priest is demanding “fair justice” for victims of human rights violations.
“These violations harm individuals created in the image of God and must not go unpunished,” said Father Aurélien Kambale Rukwata, director of the Commission for Justice and Peace in the Diocese of Butembo-Beni.
“The thousands of people who are killed gratuitously should one day find justice in the courts. If the state itself is unable to dispense justice, there are always international mechanisms to which the state can turn,” he said.
Rukwata expressed satisfaction that the International Criminal Court plans to investigate cases of abuse, particularly in North Kivu.
“I’m looking forward to it with all my heart,” he stated, noting that “swift action would discourage potential violators and uphold the rule of law.”
Rukwata was speaking on Dec. 10, on the occasion of the annual UN-sponsored “Human Rights Day.”
Eastern DRC has been plagued by violence for decades, with at least 120 armed groups vying for control over its vast mineral wealth. The reemergence of the M23 rebel group in 2021, after its apparent defeat in 2013, has added to the volatile situation.
A June 2024 report by a UN group of experts on the DRC accused Rwanda of backing the M23 movement. The experts warned that “the rapidly escalating M23 crisis carried the risk of triggering a wider regional conflict.”
Other significant armed factions include the Wazalendo coalition of local groups, and the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR). According to the UN experts, these factions are being utilized by the DRC government against the M23 and Rwanda Defense Forces (RDF).
Additionally, the involvement of Burundian troops in operations against M23 and RDF has heightened tensions between Rwanda and Burundi.
Yet another group, the Allied Democratic Forces, committed the highest number of killings, mainly civilians, in North Kivu in 2023, according to the UN experts.
“There is hardly any part of the DRC that is not under pressure from conflict, but regions of North Kivu and Beni, bordering Uganda and Rwanda, have suffered the most recently,” said Jeremy Frith, Head of Operations at the Catholic charity “Barnabas Aid,” which also operates in the DRC, in comments to Crux.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has urged the international community to pay more attention to the plight of Congolese civilians victimized by a “volatile mix of escalating violence, regional and international interests, exploitative businesses, and weak rule of law.”
He stated that the number of victims of human rights violations in the DRC continues to grow, blaming several armed groups in eastern DRC for perpetuating crimes such as “deadly attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, including schools and hospitals,” as well as rape.
“The armed groups take people prisoners, subject women and girls to sexual slavery. Many of them have been killed after being raped. These cases have not all been reported. This is atrocious,” he said.
Josué Aruna, a devout Christian and Executive Director of the NGO Congo Basin Conservation Society, told Crux that foreign companies in search of minerals are at the heart of the war that has displaced at least 5.5 million people.
“These materials are often referred to as ‘blood minerals’ due to the violent conflicts in eastern DRC centered around accessing these resources,” he said. “In forests and villages where indigenous and local communities live, women and children are frequently deprived of their homes and fields, subjected to rape, murder, mutilation, or forced labor in the mines.”
“The situation is exacerbated by foreign companies, such as Apple, exploiting the chaos by increasing mineral smuggling, despite existing regional and international regulations,” Aruna said.
Frith believes that justice may still be an elusive dream for many, but a return to peace would be welcome news.
“Many know that they may never get justice but want at least to be allowed to live their lives without fear,” he told Crux.
Rukwata called for accountability, urging both the Congolese authorities and the international community to ensure that victims, including the thousands who have been killed, the women and girls raped, and those maimed, receive justice.
He also addressed the issue of the death penalty following a controversial decision by the Congolese government in March to lift a 20-year moratorium on carrying out the death penalty. The government argued the move was essential to purge the DRC army of “traitors” and curtail the resurgence of “urban terrorism.”
Rukwata has challenged the decision, saying it goes against the fundamental human right to life.
“The death penalty was abolished, and that marked a milestone for humanity,” he said. “The Church’s position is clear: we protect life. Resorting to death is a failure.”
