Denis Mukwege demands justice for Kasika massacre victims

On the 28th anniversary of the massacres in Kasika, Kilungutwe, and Kalama, Dr. Denis Mukwege has called on the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the international community to pursue justice for the victims. The atrocities, which occurred on August 23 and 24, 1998, in the Mwenga territory of South Kivu, involved the killing of over a thousand civilians, widespread sexual violence, torture, and the burning of villages.

According to the 2010 United Nations Mapping Report, the violence was attributed to ANC/APR military forces. The attacks also targeted local leadership, including the assassination of Mwami François Mubeza and various religious figures. Mukwege noted that these crimes occurred within the context of Rwandan military intervention in the DRC.

Dr. Mukwege highlighted a continuing cycle of violence in eastern DRC, noting that despite changes in the names of armed groups—ranging from the RCD-Goma to the current M23 configurations—civilian populations continue to face massacres, sexual violence, and forced displacement. The UN estimates that approximately 6.9 million people remain internally displaced within the country.