Democratic Republic of the Congo - July 2026
Government establishes advisory council on atrocity accountability
On 15 July, the government established the Council for the Examination of Atrocities in the DRC, an advisory body tasked with supporting efforts to pursue accountability for atrocities committed in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Council includes prominent international criminal law specialists, former judges and human rights advocates, and will advise the National Fund for Reparations for Victims of Sexual Violence (FONAREV) and the Interministerial Commission for Victim Assistance and Reform Support (CIA-VAR). The Council will provide legal and diplomatic expertise to support ongoing efforts to secure recognition of atrocities, advance accountability processes and pursue reparations for victims of conflict-related abuses. Patrick Fata Makunga, Director General of FONAREV, described the Council as a major step toward truth, justice and reparations for victims, arguing that its international legal and diplomatic expertise would help navigate proceedings before the International Court of Justice and other accountability avenues.
Sources: Africa Newsroom; Reuters; Channel Africa; Council for the Examination of Atrocities in the DRC
