"We discussed the important issues of justice in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the war in the eastern part of the country, and the importance of fighting impunity to find a political solution," declared the British Ambassador King Alyson.

Also, the British Ambassador expressed her concerns about the lifting of the moratorium on the death penalty.

"The State Minister, Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals presented the perspectives of the Congolese government. We talked about overcrowding in prisons and the measures that the State Minister is adopting to improve this situation, including reforms in the Justice sector and gender-based violence. But generally, Great Britain will continue to support the DRC in various fields, and we are friends of the Congolese people."

And she added:

"Regarding the lifting of the moratorium on the death penalty, we have a global position against the death penalty because we consider it against human rights. The State Minister assured me that there will be legal procedures that will be conducted before thinking about implementing such decisions. But still, for the image of the DRC, it would be better to continue improving the situation for the respect of human rights and not make decisions that go in the wrong direction. The State Minister insisted on restoring peace in the eastern part of the country."

A lot of effort has been put into compensating sexual violence victims by setting up Fonarev, said the State Minister Rose Mutombo.

Regarding the reform of the judicial system

With the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for human rights, Enrique Roig, who is visiting the DRC led by the Ambassador of the USA in the DRC, the discussions focused on the reform of the judicial system, the fight against corruption, the security situation, as well as the prison situation.

The State Minister explained to her guests that her ministry is working on the recommendations from the General States of the Judiciary held in 2015, in particular on the recruitment of new magistrates to fill the deficit that was across the country. The government recruited 5,000 magistrates in 2022, with 2,500 of them trained and supported last year, the other 2,500 are undergoing formalities for their training this year.

Rose Mutombo mentioned the efforts made by the Congolese Government in the fight against corruption by passing various laws at the Parliament level. Efforts to decongest prisons by building new penitentiary centers. She did not fail to mention the challenges for the training of magistrates, prison staff, and the restoration of peace.

The American diplomat expressed satisfaction with the efforts made by the DRC, a continent-sized country, to tackle current challenges. He renewed the commitment of the USA to continue supporting the DRC.

Gisèle Tshijuka