ABSTRACT
In February 2014, the new DRC Amnesty Law came into force. In view of the long-lasting conflict in the country and the persisting impunity that has accompanied international crimes and gross violations of human rights, this chapter examines the abovementioned Amnesty Law vis-à-vis the principle of complementarity and scrutinizes the extent to which the Law complies with the obligations determined by the Rome Statute. To this effect, this chapter begins by providing an analysis of Article 17 of the Rome Statute, with a focus on the accommodation of amnesties therein. It proceeds by expounding on the main features of the DRC Amnesty Law, followed by its contextualization within the framework of its legal predecessors and the lessons learned from this. The chapter concludes by submitting the author’s view on the potential of the 2014 Amnesty Law to contribute to peace and justice in DRC. In the concluding remarks, a few proposals regarding the Amnesty Law’s implementation are made, with a view to striving for compliance with the Rome Statute and reflect the interests of the DRC population.
