Félicité Monga, a survivor of the 2004 Kilwa massacre in the Democratic Republic of Congo and a courageous advocate for justice, passed away in Lubumbashi on the night of 9th July after a short illness. She was 76 years old. Her quiet, determined fight for justice stands in stark contrast to the inaction of the Congolese government who have yet to honour the hard-won legal victory she helped achieve.
For over two decades, Félicité quietly and steadfastly pursued accountability for the atrocities committed in Kilwa. She spoke out with dignity and resolve, even as many tried to silence the truth. Her strength echoed that of so many other survivors – determined, principled and unwavering.
The Kilwa massacre took place in October 2004 when Congolese army soldiers, with logistical support from Australian-Canadian mining company Anvil Mining, crushed a small uprising in the town of Kilwa. In the days that followed, the soldiers detained, tortured, raped and executed civilians, claiming they had helped the rebels. More than 70 people were brutally killed, with many buried in unmarked mass graves.
Among those killed, was Félicité’s husband, Pierre Kunda-Musopelo, who served as the town’s police chief. The following year, her daughter, Dorcas Kunda-Monga, a victim of sexual violence in the attack, died as a result of the trauma she had endured.
Despite her profound personal loss, Félicité refused to give up. She was one of several survivors who shared testimony publicly and sought justice through legal channels.
Despite her profound personal loss, Félicité refused to give up. She was one of several survivors who shared testimony publicly and sought justice through legal channels. In 2017, her efforts helped bring about a groundbreaking ruling by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The Commission found the Congolese government responsible for serious violations of the African Charter and ordered over $4.36 million in compensation for eight victims and their families, including Félicité. The ruling also required the identification of other victims, the dignified reburial of those dumped in mass graves, and community reparations.
This was a historic precedent – one of the African Commission’s most significant rulings on both individual and community redress. The responsibility for implementing the decision rests squarely with the Congolese government. Yet despite repeated appeals from survivors and civil society organisations, President Tshisekedi’s administration has taken no concrete steps to carry forward the decision. The government’s failure to act makes each passing year, and each passing life, a deeper wound for the families and survivors of the Kilwa massacre, leaving them without reparations, without memorials, without justice.
“We continue to bury our dead without justice for the victims of Kilwa.”
Her son, Dickay Kunda, who wrote to RAID last week, summed up the sentiments of many: “We continue to bury our dead without justice for the victims of Kilwa.”
There is still time to change course. Implementing the African Commission’s ruling would not only honour the bravery of survivors like Félicité and restore a measure of justice to those still living – it would also send a clear message that the Congolese government recognises its responsibility to confront past crimes and prevent future ones. At a time when atrocities continue to mount in eastern Congo, that message could not be more urgent.
We urge the Congolese government to act with courage now and enact justice. Doing so would be a vital step toward closing a painful chapter in Congo’s history, and extending the dignity and recognition that survivors have long been denied.
Félicité Monga, DRC ©2014 RAID