Kulihoshi M Pecos Speech during the Commemoration of the GenoCost in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Statement on the Commemoration of the GenoCost in the Democratic Republic of Congo on August 2nd, of each year

Kulihoshi Musikami Pecos during engagement with Actors of the Civil Society and stakeholders in Goma on issues about FDLR

Dear Comrades,

On this day of August 2nd, 2024 we are here today to commemorate the lives of more than 12 million Congolese massacred since 1998 up today, more than 10 million Congolese living in Internally Displaced Camps and more than 3 million Congolese refugees in different countries in the world alongside various victims. This is our second gathering under the GenoCost, we also did the same last year 2023 and this will continue for years and years come.

We are so happy today that the commemoration of the GenoCost makes a consensus in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in the Diaspora especially among the elites, where everyone in his or her corner either individually or in association with others is putting this day aside to reflect on the brutal manner millions of Congolese and refugees were massacred in their villages.

Let us remind each other that August 2nd, 1998 was the day when Uganda and Rwanda backed the rebel group called the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD Goma) in order to launch military activities against the Government and which was characterized by the worst brutality and serious crimes against humanity and which continue up to now by M23 backed again by Rwanda and Uganda.

GenoCost is therefore the word which was put in place in order to commemorate this day and it has two words: Geno which means Genocide of millions of Congolese and Refugees massacred in their villages because they belong to certain religion, certain tribe, certain ethnicity or social group such as refugees, then Cost which means the price people had to pay in order to be massacred, millions of Congolese massacred because some people want their land, just because their villages are near a forest which has timber which those with guns want to loot, just because their villages are built on land which has minerals, just because those with guns want to plant a new population in the area, massacred just because they belong to a certain religion, massacred because they are refugees and because they belong to a certain social class of people intellectuals, actors of the Civil Society or political actors.

This day is a reminder to all people in the world that once you use gadgets and other electronics please remember that they are Congolese who have been massacred in order to get those minerals, it is a reminder to neighboring countries that once you consume agricultural products from DRC remember that there are millions of Congolese who have been massacred for you to eat those products, it is also a reminder to some Congolese people who get advantage of this war to know that once they live in abundance there are millions of Congolese who have been massacred.

Today we come here to condemn all atrocities and call upon the world to stand in solidarity with the survivors, the second thing is the memory and our history, the third thing is the truth telling, the fourth is the reparation of the damage made, the fifth thing is the commitment to no-repetition and the last thing is pardon.

This day of the GenoCost is also a time for commitment that we shall do all that it may take to prevent this, Never this again, it is a day of commitment that we need to rebuild the communities, to collect one by one all people who survived and help them to start a new life, to build memorials in all villages which are now empty, to support the victims, to remain in communion with those who were massacred, to reflect and take serious commitment towards those who were forced to leave and are now in horrible conditions in Internally Displaced Camps, and in Refugee Camps in foreign countries. This day is not only to commemorate the massacre against Congolese but also the massacres against refugees who also were not speared on whose number remain unknown, whose site of massacres remain unidentified.

This day is not only an event which occurs once a year, but a daily life to which we are committed to work upon and to mobilize others to join us.

It happens at a time when we are exactly facing the same war, by the same actors, and the same aim and this has been a repetition for the last 30 years. The terrible situation of IDPs in camps in DRC, the terrible situation of refugees especially in neighboring countries, the ongoing massacres and other atrocities seem not to give us a glimpse of a committed people to restore the lives and change the history, this should not give us excuses to despair but it should give us the necessary courage to strive and work hard in order to end this human madness. We believe in a strong movement of people who want to change the narratives and therefore next year should be more of evaluating the progress.

As organizations we are already working on various issues focusing on people in their communities, documenting all the sites of massacres, engaging the stakeholders especially the Government to ensure the security of the people, understanding the regional political dynamics and working for better relationship which are centered on peace, and engaging the international actors to act and be more aware and responsible. We invite you to join, and activities will be done for each site where we observed massacres.

Kulihoshi Musikami Pecos

Coordinator/ COJESKI Nord-Kivu   

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