On August 30, the city of Goma was the scene of a massacre of incredible violence. More than 50 people, defenseless and unarmed, were killed in cold blood within a few hours, while around a hundred others were injured. What is particularly shocking about this tragedy is that the perpetrators of this crime are none other than the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), those supposed to protect the Congolese.
Since then, despite some convictions and the arrest of certain military officials, no serious investigation has been launched. The families of the victims are still waiting to be able to identify their loved ones and offer them a dignified funeral. In addition, the hospitals that received the injured received no state assistance to ensure their adequate treatment, leaving the survivors to die one after the other. At the same time, the authorities violently repressed mourning demonstrations and arrested civil society activists and journalists who denounced the massacre.
Faced with this intolerable situation, it is time to take action. As Congolese citizens, it is our duty to show our solidarity with the victims and to firmly indicate to the authorities that we can no longer tolerate being massacred by the very people who are supposed to protect us. It is about our dignity and our reputation as a people.
The Goma massacre can be considered a crime against humanity, and we call for the mobilization of all Congolese so that justice is done. We must break our silence and our resignation and demand that President Félix Tshisekedi and his government officially recognize the responsibility of the State in this tragedy, that they ask forgiveness from the victims and the Congolese nation, and that they take concrete measures to ensure that such crimes do not happen again.
At the same time, today we are launching a series of actions to provide aid to the victims of the Goma massacre. We invite every Congolese, wherever they are, to join us in this fight for justice and dignity. It is time to make our voices heard and put an end to this senseless violence perpetrated against our own people. We can no longer accept being killed en masse by those who are supposed to keep us safe. The Goma massacre, like the other violence we experience every day, can no longer be tolerated.
It is time to take charge of our destiny, to revolt against injustice and to force change. We are a strong, resilient and united people. Together, we can end this culture of impunity and rebuild a Congo where the life of every citizen matters. It is time to say “no” to massacre and “yes” to justice. The ball is in our hands, let’s act now.