The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has experienced a long history of
violence and instability, fueled in part by political crises and competition
for control over valuable minerals and other natural resources. The newest member of the East African Community, DRC is divided by decades of civil wars. These conflicts have led to widespread human rights violations, including acts of sexual violence,
forced displacement, and arbitrary killings. The instability and political
crises that led to the mass atrocities in DRC can be traced to the mutiny and
political turmoil that followed the country’s 1960 independence from Belgium
and the subsequent three decades of oppression by President Mobutu Sese Seko. A
range of transitional justice processes have been implemented in the Democratic
Republic of Congo to deal with the decades of violence and violations. These
processes include the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that operated from
2002 to 2006, the Property Commission, prosecution by the International
Criminal Court (ICC) as well as the the reparations and victims’ protection law
etc.