Congolese Genocide Memorial Day in DR Congo Date in the current year: August 2, 2024

The country that is now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo has had a tumultuous history since colonial times. Located in the center of the continent, it was at the heart of independent Africa until the mid-19th century due to being difficult to conquer and settle. Everything changed after the Berlin Conference of 1884–1885, where European powers formalized the colonial division of the African continent.

At the conference, King Leopold II of Belgium acquired the rights to the Congo territory and established the Congo Free State. Under Leopold’s regime, millions of Congolese died due its atrocities: forced labor and exploitation, mutilation and brutality, imprisonment and hostage taking, and child colonies. In addition, the effect of natural disasters such as disease and famine was exacerbated by Leopold’s policies. In 1908, the Belgian parliament had to step in and take over the Congo, formally annexing it as a Belgian colony.

Upon achieving independence from Belgium in 1960, the Congo went through a period of political upheaval and conflict known as the Congo Crisis. It culminated in a coup led by Mobu Sese Seko, who remained in power as a dictator until his overthrow in 1997. Mobutu’s overthrow was preceded by the First Congo War; its death toll isn’t fully known, but is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands.

In 1998, the Second Congo War began. It lasted for over four years and resulted in millions of deaths from violence, starvation, and disease. The death toll included around 60,000 Bambuti pygmies killed by rebel forces during the operation Effacer le tableau (“Clean the slate”). Even though the war officially ended in 2003, the country has been plagued by political instability and outbursts of violence ever since.

The commemoration of Congolese Genocide Memorial Day was initiated by Genocost, an initiative of the Congolese Action Youth Platform (CAYP). The word “genocost” is a portmanteau of the words “genocide” and “cost”, which means genocide for economical gain. The main goal of the Genocost campaign is to raise awareness of the economic aspects of the genocide in DR Congo and dispel the common misconception that instability in the country is primarily caused by tribal and ethnic conflicts.

Congolese Genocide Memorial Day is observed on August 2 to mark the beginning of the Second Congo War, also known as the Great African War, the Great War of Africa, or Africa’s World War. On this day in 1998, a Banyamulenge rebellion erupted in the city of Goma, starting a war that would result in more than 5.4 million civilian deaths, principally due to malnutrition and disease, making it the world’s deadliest conflict since World War II.

In 2022, the government of DR Congo officially recognized Congolese Genocide Memorial Day. The first nationwide commemoration took place on August 2, 2023; the memorial ceremony was presided over by President Félix Tshisekedi.