With the presidential and legislative elections only a few days away in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), 11 civil society organisations have launched a campaign called “Justice now” across the country’s 11 provinces.

 
By Passy Mubalama, Goma
 
“This campaign is aimed at encouraging presidential and parliamentarian candidates to commit to the reform of the Congolese justice system as well as to the fight against impunity regarding international crimes and other human rights violations in the DRC”, explains Gautier Muhindo Misonia, the coordinator of CREDDHO (the centre for research on environment, democracy and human rights). Gautier Muhindo Misonia is also at the forefront of the “Justice now” campaign in Northern Kivu, Eastern DRC.
 
Impunity and injustice
For Gautier Misonia, “impunity is experienced on a daily basis in the DRC. Since 1992, the country has witnessed strong ethnic tensions and repeated wars. Several crimes have been committed on Congolese soil, whether by Congolese citizens or by armed groups from another country. These crimes have remained unpunished to this day. There is also the deplorable state of the country’s prisons”.
 
Several crimes against humanity have been perpetrated in the Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly in the Kivu region. At the same time, numerous cases of impunity have been reported. Immaculée Birhaheka, who coordinates the activities of nongovernmental organisation PAIF (Promotion and Support to Women’s Initiatives) in Goma, comments on the functioning of the Congolese justice system: “Bosco Ntaganda (the former rebel also known as Terminator) has committed numerous crimes in the eastern DRC and an arrest warrant has been issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC). But sadly, to this date, he still walks free; the Congolese authorities have failed to hand him over to the ICC”, she regrets.
 
Constant fight for human rights
Richard Bayunda, from the human rights department of the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office, reiterates the need to reform justice system and explains that “irrespective of the obstacles and constraints, human rights activists must constantly fight for the reform of the justice system. The Congolese people as a whole needs equal justice”.   
 
“The human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo is dramatic and necessitates some kind of collective revolution. The fight against impunity should be the central theme of our struggle”, explains Muhindo Kasekwa, who was attending a roundtable in Goma about “Justice now”. According to him, impunity affects everyone, particularly the vulnerable masses. It hinders economic investment and affects the country’s international credibility.
 
No action taken
The organisers of the “Justice now” campaign deplore the fact that, despite numerous reports published by United Nations (UN) as well as human rights organisations on impunity in the DRC, no action has been taken. Amongst these reports, the organisers highlight the Mapping Report, which was published in October 2010 by the UN, providing details of crimes committed in the Democratic Republic of Congo
 
The aim of “Justice now” is to introduce the presidential and legislative candidates to the expectations of the Congolese people, namely the reform of the justice system giving the victims access to justice.
 
According to the organisers of “Justice now”, the timing for the launch of the campaign is crucial because it is the time when most candidates are attentive and receptive to the opinions of the people and human rights activists. In Goma, only 25 representatives of political parties attended “Justice now” gatherings and signed a commitment to fight impunity in the DRC. There are more than 1400 candidates competing for parliamentary seats in the Northern Kivu.