The Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday commemorated 30 years since the tragic genocide or Gencost of 1994 in Kisangani where thousands lost their lives during the war.
The occasion hosted in the city of Kisangani where the genocide had happened was gripped with sorrow and sombre atmosphere as tributes for the victims of the barbaric incidents which lasted for four days poured from all around the country.
Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka led a contingent of Ministers and other government officials in attendance at the Gencost commemoration.
However, there was a notable high-ranking government official who was absent from the occasion besides President Félix Tshisekedi who is currently receiving medical treatment in Belgium.
Deputy Prime Minister of Transport and Communications Jean-Pierre Bemba, a former warlord, could not show his face at this important occasion.
At the time of the tragic incidents of 1994, Bemba was one of the main instigators of war that resulted in the deaths of several Congolese.
The war crimes ex-convict led a rebel movement which murdered Congolese residents in Kisangani to quench his thirst for power and riches of the DR Congo 30 years ago.
Despite all the atrocities he caused, Bemba has been handed a high-ranking position in government by Tshisekedi who is his close political ally.
