Kinshasa, 24 October 2024 – The Centre de Recherche sur l’Anti-Corruption (CERC) held an anti-corruption awareness day at the Bel Campus University of Technology in Kinshasa. Aimed at law students, the day set out to strengthen their commitment against corruption and to promote ethical values in academic institutions.
Corruption, the embezzlement of public funds and the spread of hate speech continue to weaken Congolese society and the values of transparency and integrity. These ills also reach universities, which should embody ethics and knowledge.
Students and journalists mobilised against corruption in the justice system
With technical support from RCN Justice & Démocratie and funding from the European Union and the Belgian Development Cooperation (DGD), CERC is raising awareness among students and journalists in Kinshasa and mobilising them against corruption in the justice system. This work is part of the anti-corruption component of the project “Agir pour une justice redevable, plurielle et intègre au Congo” (REPLIC) and of the second phase of the Justice Reform Support Programme (PARJ II).
It contributes to objective 14 of pillar 4 of the National Justice Reform Policy (PNRJ 2017–2026): making justice actors more accountable, and giving civil society and citizens – including young people and the most vulnerable – the power to change practices and attitudes.
Students called on to take action
“It is essential to train students to fight corruption. As students and as citizens, everyone has a role to play in building a fair and honest Congo.”
Jonathan Musa Nzamu, CERC’s Regional Director for Kinshasa and Kongo Central
CERC also announced that awareness clubs would be set up at Bel Campus and at other universities, including the University of Kinshasa (UNIKIN). These groups of committed students raise awareness among their peers, promote a culture of ethics and work actively against corruption in universities.
The clubs have since been created: in 2024, four university integrity clubs were set up, at the University of Kinshasa, the Pan-African University, Reverend Kim University and Bel Campus University (see the REPLIC project report 2024).
What impact for the future?
Through this work, CERC wants young Congolese people to become ambassadors of honesty and justice, for a stronger and fairer society. With education experts and civil society, CERC is also working on a bill to teach young people, from school onwards, the values of civic responsibility and integrity and how to fight corruption – strengthening the foundations of a plural justice system that respects fundamental rights.
The REPLIC project with RCN Justice & Démocratie
This activity is part of the REPLIC project – Agir pour une justice redevable, plurielle et intègre au Congo (acting for accountable, plural and honest justice in the Congo), run by CERC in 2024 with RCN Justice & Démocratie under the second Justice Reform Support Programme (PARJ II), funded by the European Union and the Belgian Development Cooperation (DGD).
- The REPLIC project in our projects: aims, results and funding
- REPLIC project report 2024: the social alert system in the courts and the university integrity clubs
- RCN Justice & Démocratie among our partners
A first version of this article was published in French by Habari RDC on 8 November 2024.