Amnesty International released a report on Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) Kisangani, a strategic city, and the 25-year delay in justice after the city saw a brutal military confrontation between Rwandan and Ugandan forces on June 5, 2000. Indiscriminate shelling and gunfire devastated the city for six days.
Basic services like electricity and water collapsed, trapping civilians in a humanitarian nightmare. Desperate for refuge, some sought shelter in churches or hospitals, but few places remained safe. The bombardment killed hundreds, injured thousands, and destroyed homes. Women suffered sexual violence, and widespread looting compounded the devastation.
One woman told Amnesty she “was seven at the time of the war, living on 6th Avenue” when a bomb injured her leg. “I didn’t know how to get to hospitals, it was dangerous, so we were dealing with the injury at home but the foot was rotting,” she said. “On the fifth day I went to the hospital, but it was too late they cut off my leg.”
Despite civil society and the United Nations’ extensive documentation, accountability remains elusive. Over the past 25 years, not a single individual has faced trial for crimes committed in Kisangani. At the international level, the International Criminal Court (ICC) is powerless to act, as its jurisdiction does not cover crimes committed before 2002. Within the DRC, neither civilian nor military courts have initiated investigations.
The primary reason, Amnesty argued, is political obstruction. The peace deal that ended the Second Congo War discouraged judicial efforts, as many of the conflict’s key figures joined the government. Former belligerents, now political leaders, had little incentive to support accountability, leaving the judiciary compromised and dependent on political will.
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The lack of accountability has deepened distrust in the justice system among affected communities. Survivors and local advocacy groups continue their calls for legal action, pushing for either the use of appeals courts — given their jurisdiction over crimes under international law since 2013 — or the creation of a dedicated judicial mechanism. Congolese authorities proposed but never implemented this idea.
One human rights campaigner told Amnesty authorities had done “nothing, nothing, nothing” when it came to prosecutions: “All these people [alleged perpetrators] strut around. Before Congolese courts, there is general impunity. Our justice system makes no effort, if only to investigate!”
The DRC has a legal obligation to investigate the Kisangani war, prosecute those responsible, and ensure fair trials. Yet, years of inaction reflect the state’s unwillingness to reckon with past crimes.
For over two decades, victims of the Kisangani war received no reparations. This changed in 2024 when Uganda was ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to compensate survivors, following a case filed by the DRC against both Uganda and Rwanda. The ICJ ruled against Uganda but lacked jurisdiction over Rwanda, limiting the scope of accountability. While some victims have begun receiving payments, Amnesty International highlights mismanagement within the Congolese institution responsible for distributing funds. Critics argue that compensation has been uneven and plagued by bureaucratic inefficiencies.
The DRC government has an obligation to provide timely, full reparations, developed in collaboration with survivors and local organizations, according to AI. The flawed distribution process underscores the broader failure to uphold victims’ rights and deliver justice. Without genuine commitment to accountability, trust in the government and judiciary will remain fractured, the report said.
For many Congolese families, the wait for truth, justice, and reparations is measured not in years but generations.
