Society - Crimes under international law, including rape and murder, continue to be committed by the Congolese army and armed groups in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following decades of similar crimes across the country, Amnesty International (AI), the global human rights watchdog, said in a statement Wednesday. In a new report, tagged 'The time for justice is now; new strategy needed in the Democratic Republic of Congo', AI called for the reform and strengthening of the country's national justice system to combat impunity that has been fostering a cycle of violence and human rights violations for decades.

According to the statement, received here by PANA, 'The people of the DRC have suffered war crimes and crimes against humanity - including torture, sexual violence and the use of child soldiers - on an enormous scale and yet only a handful of perpetrators have ever been brought to justice.'

The report quoted Veronique Aubert, AI's Africa deputy director, as saying 'All suspected perpetrators of such crimes under international law must be prosecuted according to international fair trial standards without the use of the death penalty.'

'In the run up to Presidential and Legislative elections in DRC due to take place in November 2011, bringing perpetrators of crimes under international law to justice and ensuring reparations for victims must not just be an electoral priority; it must be translated into concrete measures.'

Last year, the UN published a report (the UN mapping report) documenting the most serious violations and abuses in the DRC committed between 1993 and 2003 and for which justice has almost never been done. It pointed out that the Congolese justice system is too weak and under-resourced to provide justice for crimes under international law.

In response to the UN report, the DRC government has proposed the establishment of a Specialised Court that would have jurisdiction over these crimes. The Specialised Court would involve both Congolese and international justice personnel. The law is to be debated and could be adopted by the Parliament within weeks.

'This initiative is a very positive step towards tackling impunity but much more needs to happen in order to enable the ordinary courts to complement this new mechanism,' said Aubert.

'While the Specialised Court will try some of the high profile cases the bulk of the caseload will need to be addressed by other courts in the country.'

AI has identified other fundamental steps which need to be taken so that the DRC justice system can provide redress to the men, women and children who have been affected by the endemic violence and abuses.

Fair trial and due process must be guaranteed, as judges and other judicial staff regularly face threats and interference from the political authorities and military officials, according to the report.

AI also calls for a programme to be put in place to protect victims and witnesses who are reluctant to come forward for fear of reprisals by perpetrators who are still free.

Given the current weaknesses in international and national programmes as well as the under-funding of the DRC justice system, AI is calling on the Government, the United Nations, the European Union and other relevant donors to provide the necessary financial and technical support to ensure that a comprehensive, long-term justice strategy is developed.

Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose mission is 'to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated.'

Pana 11/08/2011