On August 2, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) commemorates Genocost Day, a national day of remembrance dedicated to the millions of victims of the violence that has affected the country since the outbreak of the First Congo War in 1996. First promoted by Congolese civil society in 2013, the commemoration was officially established under Congolese law in December 2022.
The term Genocost may be unfamiliar to many people outside Central Africa. Yet in the DRC, it has become an increasingly powerful symbol of collective memory and a rallying cry for justice. Combining the words “genocide” and “cost”, it seeks to draw attention to the human suffering associated with decades of armed conflicts, while highlighting the role played by the exploitation of natural resources in sustaining violence.
