Current events in the Democratic Republic of Congo are marked by the fight for justice in favor of the Congolese companions of UN experts, Zaida Catalan and Michael Sharp, tragically killed in 2017 by Kamuina Nsapu militiamen. While the international community secured justice for the UN experts, the 4 Congolese who also lost their lives in similar circumstances remained in the shadows of oblivion.
The Congolese Society for the Rule of Law (SCED) ardently pleads so that these Congolese, often neglected by the judicial system, finally benefit from the justice that is their due. President Dominique Kambala, director general of the SCED, underlines the obvious injustice at play in this case, where skin color seems to dictate the legal treatment of the victims.
While the Military Court of the former Kasai Occidental province handed down a verdict condemning 51 defendants to the death penalty for the murder of the UN experts, the Congolese companions remain awaiting a legal outcome. Pressure is being put on the military auditor to close this case and finally allow the families of the victims to find some form of justice and reparation.
It is crucial that fairness and transparency prevail in all legal matters, regardless of the ethnic or national origin of the victims. The SCED continues to fight so that the memory of the 4 Congolese who disappeared alongside the UN experts is not forgotten, and that their quest for justice finally finds a legitimate outcome.
This reminder of the tragic history of these Congolese who fell in the exercise of their duty highlights the flaws in the judicial system and underlines the importance of impartial and equitable justice for all. Let us hope that the voices calling for justice are heard and that the light of truth can finally shine on this matter which has long remained in the shadows.