The inauguration ceremony of the Genocost Memorial was held on Saturday 2 August 2025 in Kinshasa, in the presence of a wide range of personalities. Politicians, diplomats, musicians, comedians, footballers, influencers, civil society figures and cultural players all turned out to pay tribute to the victims of mass crimes in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Genocost memorial consists of 93 steles and an eternal flame, symbolizing the living memory and resilience of the Congolese people in the face of oblivion.

Lubumbashi: In solidarity with the victims

The youth of Lubumbashi responded en masse to the call to remember on the occasion of National Genocost Day. In front of the emblematic 30 June building, an appreciative crowd gathered around the national flag to honour the millions of Congolese who have fallen victim to the brutal and illegal exploitation of their country’s natural resources.

In an atmosphere of pain and hope, candles were lit in a circle around the flag. Representatives of civil society took the floor to denounce the “international silence” in the face of this tragedy, described as “economic genocide”.

Butembo: a reminder about the ADF

Citizen movements and pressure groups in the town of Butembo, in the province of North Kivu, are urging the government to put an end to the war in the eastern part of the DRC.

Gathered at the Masiani cemetery in the town of Beni, along with other local people, to pay tribute to all the victims of armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo on the occasion of Genocost, commemorated on 02 August, these citizens’ movements and pressure groups denounced the atrocities committed by the terrorists of the Forces Démocratiques et Alliés (ADF) on the one hand, and by the M23 rebels on the other, which the population continues to suffer. They call for the same efforts to be made to put an end to the M23 rebellion as to eradicate the ADF.

Silence in regions under Rwandan occupation

While last year’s Genocost activities were organized with great fanfare, this year the towns of Goma and Bukavu have done nothing. The towns of Goma, which fell at the end of January, and Bukavu, which fell in mid-February, are under occupation by the Rwandan army via the M23. No activities have been organized there, as if to say that the aggressor is back in another guise. No communication from the M23 on the occasion of this day. Every Congolese commemorated in absolute silence.

Written by Akilimali Chomachoma