Human rights organization Amnesty International issued a note of recommendation on Monday, urging the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to act on human rights pledges made by President Felix Tshisekedi. The call-to-action comes as Tshisekedi entered his second and final five-year term in January.
The note highlights five critical areas where the DRC needs improvements, including the safety of civilians, unpunished war crimes, an oppressive criminal justice system, shrinking civic spaces, and worsening economic and social rights.
Amnesty International criticized the “purely military approach” taken towards armed conflicts, insisting that the root causes of violence be addressed. The United Nations reports that over seven million people have been displaced due to armed conflict between 2018 and 2024, even as humanitarian aid continues to decrease. The organization has called for the DRC to investigate alleged crimes against humanity and prosecute sexual violence committed during conflicts dating back to the 1990s.
Other recommended actions include the abolition of the death penalty, the rehabilitation of the prison system, broader criminal justice reform, ending the state of siege in North Kivu and Ituri, and halting mass evictions for mining industry expansion.
Congo has faced extensive violence and conflict since the end of the Mobutu autocracy in 1997, including two major wars and countless tribal conflicts. Recent years have seen persistent violence in the eastern Nord-Kivu province, bordering Uganda and Rwanda. These conflicts have resulted in widespread sexual and gender-based violence and severe repression of freedom of expression. A coup against President Tshisekedi was quashed in May by the military in the capital, Kinshasa.
The note also addresses the expansion of mining activities which have led to mass evictions and further displacement of citizens. In a recent case, a US appeals court dismissed a lawsuit against automaker Tesla for allegedly using child labor in Congolese mines.