The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has called for a new way to tackle war crimes in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Karim Khan, who is on a fact-finding mission in DR Congo, said there was a need for a “stronger partnership” among the people, local authorities, civil society and global players to show a common will to put an end to crimes.
He said there had been cases and convictions “but there is a truth staring at us in the face… the rapes have not stopped, the crimes have not stopped.
“The message is: we need to find a new way of working in my view, not in the same way that we’ve been doing since 2004,” he said on Monday.
The ICC opened its first investigation in DR Congo in 2004, following a referral by the Congolese government.
During his visit, Mr Khan met Nobel laureate Denis Mukwege, who has been helping sexual abuse victims amid the conflict in the country eastern region.
Eastern DR Congo has been plagued by violence for decades, with dozens of armed groups operating there.