Kinshasa, DRC – Thursday 12 March, the Congolese Association for the Defense of the Right to Truth in Memory of Innocent Civilian Victims (ACDDV-DH) commemorates the National Day of Remembrance and Recollection in memory of Zaida Catalán and Michael Sharp and in memory of the victims of the atrocities committed in Kasai during the Kamuina Nsapu crisis.
In a statement received by the editorial team at Tamtam News, the association led by Congolese human rights activist Richie Lontulungu Nsombola recalls that exactly nine years ago to the day, Michael Sharp and Zaida Catalán, two experts on a mission to Kasai-Central as part of the United Nations investigation into the violence committed in Kasai during the Kamuina Nsapu crisis, were cold-bloodedly murdered. The two experts were lured into a trap that had been planned in advance and coordinated by influential figures operating from Kasai and beyond. This heinous act deeply shocked the collective consciousness.
In 2022, the Congolese High Military Court handed down around 40 sentences ranging from the death penalty to 20 years’ imprisonment, but the full truth behind the murder of the UN experts has never been established. Those who ordered the killings of the experts and the attacks on the victims in Kasai continue to enjoy total impunity. ACDDV-DH considers that the efforts made by the Congolese authorities to uncover the truth about these murders are insufficient. It reiterates its call on the judicial authorities to extend accountabilities to all those implicated in the official investigations, including in the credible independent investigations.
In addition, the ACDDV-DH welcomes the announcement of the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH-DRC) regarding the launch of a fact-finding mission in response to human rights violations related to the atrocities committed against civilians in Kasai, and the double murder of UN experts. It urged the Commission to speed up the investigation process, as the families of the unjustly murdered experts, as well as those of the innocent victims of the Kasai, have been waiting for answers. They deserve to know the truth about the tragic events that led to these abominable crimes.
The ACDDV-DH also asks the Congolese State to officially recognise March 12 of each year as a national day of remembrance and recollection in memory of Zaida Catalán and Michael Sharp, as well as all victims of the atrocities committed in Kasai. This recognition, the association believes, would be a lasting tribute to the struggle for human rights led by these two UN experts and a lesson for those who perpetrate human rights violations, reminding them that, although their actions can kill bodies, they cannot erase the memory and legacy of human rights defenders who will continue to inspire future generations.
Finally, the ACDDV-DH reaffirms its commitment to seek truth and justice for all the people who died in tragic circumstances and who suffered an unfair death in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Tamtam News
