This forum, which is being held from April 22 to 24, 2024, aims to promote collaboration and partnership among African Atlantic States and to strengthen, within a holistic framework that highlights the role of justice.

Serving as a platform to activate the African Atlantic process, this forum will enable the unification of efforts by States to promote a culture of peace and security among the concerned States. Hence, the stakes of the participation of the DRC, a country grappling with insecurity, particularly in its eastern part.

Speaking on behalf of the DRC, Rose Mutombo took the opportunity to congratulate and thank His Majesty, Mohammed VI, King of Morocco, and through His Majesty, the Ministry of Justice of the Kingdom of Morocco for inviting her to this important forum which reflects the willingness of States to work for cooperation in matters of justice and the strengthening of cooperation in favor of peace, security, stability, and development.

"For several decades, Africa has been increasingly exposed to the rise of new types of criminality that threaten its survival and undermine its efforts for development. These include terrorism, human trafficking, maritime piracy, and other organized transnational crimes that have complex ramifications.

In several countries in the region, their harmful effects are the basis of insecurity, economic slowdown, and political instability."

But she indicated that efforts to end these scourges are not enough. "To stem them, each State mobilizes its available resources but does not manage to find adequate and lasting solutions alone. This reality has argued in favor of bilateral legal and judicial cooperation.

Unfortunately, bilateral agreements do not yield the expected results either, as these phenomena far exceed the scope and capacity of two States.

Therefore, to compensate for this weakness, it is appropriate to consider regional cooperation that will federate the most extensive actors and means of combat. To be effective, this regional cooperation must be based on national legislations and on bilateral agreements in the field," she declared.

Also, it would be prudent for regional cooperation agreements to provide mechanisms for their control; the Democratic Republic of Congo is ready to deploy its efforts alongside other States to meet this challenge.

Thus, to achieve this, she asserts, "we must ensure that our efforts are not eroded by the bellicose activism of certain African States. On this subject, the Democratic Republic of Congo notes the terrorism and organized transnational crimes it faces as a result of the war imposed on it by one of its immediate neighbors, Rwanda, through its terrorist proxies of M23. This deplorable situation does not promote a conducive climate for peace in the sub-region," specified Rose Mutombo.

And to continue: "Regarding the fight against the aforementioned crimes, I note that the legal arsenal of the Democratic Republic of Congo has laws that punish, in particular, money laundering, financing of terrorism, and human trafficking. My country has developed judicial bilateral cooperation with almost all of its neighbors through the Great Joint Commissions.

This cooperation takes place within the framework of Regional Integration Organizations, of which it is a member, such as the SADC, COMESA, ECCAS, and others."

It is pertinent to note that several axes are being uncompromisingly analyzed by the ministers of Justice representing 19 African Atlantic States. Among these axes, it is worth noting the fight against terrorism and organized crimes, the fight against maritime piracy, international judicial cooperation, sustainable development and environmental protection, investment attractiveness and economic protection, and the strengthening of the culture of human rights.

DC