Symposium on Advancing Effective and Comprehensive Reparation for Victims of the War in Ukraine: Towards a Holistic Care Model – Lessons from the DRC Experience for the Ukrainian Context

[Julienne Lusenge is a prominent activist from eastern DRC who has dedicated her work to justice, peace, and gender equality. She co-founded SOFEPADI in 2000 and created the Fonds pour les femmes congolaises in 2007, focusing on women’s empowerment, political leadership, and combating sexual violence. She is widely recognised and earned major international awards and leadership roles, including being named one of Time’s 100 most influential people in 2024.

Jeanne d’Arc Katungu Ndondo is a Congolese jurist and human rights activist who supports women and girls affected by CRSV. Since graduating in 2019, she has built strong expertise in transitional justice and the Women, Peace and Security agenda, while holding key roles in reparation and African Union-European Union initiatives. She is also active in civil society as a member of SOFEPADI, founder of the Jeanne d’Arc Ndondo Foundation, and contributor to the Kinshasa Declaration on Positive Masculinity.]

Introduction 

The implementation of reparations represents colossal financial and logistical challenges that can far exceed a State’s capacity. The experience of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), particularly through the Lubanga International Criminal Court (ICC) trial and the ecosystem identification missions conducted in Ituri with the National Reparations Fund (FONAREV), demonstrates that a theoretical model must adapt to field realities to be effective. This note explores how the transition from distributive to transformative justice, driven by civil society, can serve as a compass for the future reparation mechanisms in Ukraine; civil society is the lever for reparation through rehabilitation. 

Lessons from the Lubanga Trial and the Mission in Ituri: Institutional Limitations

The Lubanga case adjudicated by the ICC, concerning the recruitment of child soldiers, and the realities observed in Bunia offer major lessons for the Register of Damages in Ukraine. 

Thomas Lubanga Dyilo was former President of the Union des Patriotes Congolais/Forces Patriotiques pour la Libération du Congo. On 14 March 2012, he was found guilty of the war crime of enlisting and conscripting children under the age of 15, and using them to participate actively in hostilities. The same year, he was sentenced to serve 14 years of imprisonment. The reparations phase started on 7 August 2012. The programme is still ongoing.

A. The Complexity of Evidence and Quantification

In Ituri, North, and South Kivu, as in other areas in the DRC, the absence of official documents such as birth certificates is frequent, as a result of repeated cycles of violence and displacement. This highlights the need for flexibility in how evidence is approached. Ukraine must imperatively provide for flexible evidentiary mechanisms, allowing for testimonies and presumptions, particularly for populations who have lost everything and cannot produce formal proof.

At the same time, the Congolese experience demonstrates that a purely financial approach to reparations often leads to a deadlock in contexts of mass violations. In the Lubanga case, a central challenge was how to quantify the loss of a childhood or the trauma suffered by a 12-year-old child forced to carry a weapon. Limiting reparations to individualized financial assessments risks diluting resources and leaving victims in continued precariousness.

Facing thousands of victims, reparations must take on a transformative dimension. They should aim to reconstruct what the conflict has broken, while prioritizing education and social cohesion over attempts to assign a market value to harm that is often impossible to measure.

B. Operational and Financial Challenges

Beyond evidence and design, the practical implementation of reparation measures raises its own set of operational and financial challenges. In parts of eastern Congo, the absence of reliable banking infrastructure has often forced program staff to use physical cash, exposing personnel and beneficiaries to significant security risks, including theft and diversion. This experience underscores the importance, in other contexts, of prioritizing fully digitalized payment systems wherever possible, to enhance efficiency, reduce opportunities for corruption, and ensure greater transparency. 

At the same time, the success of any reparations program depends heavily on how it is perceived by affected communities. In highly fragmented and polarized environments, even the slightest impression of bias can undermine trust and derail the process. Best practice points to the need for neutral coordination structures that are not directly tied to local power dynamics, combined with the meaningful involvement of local staff who reflect the diversity of the communities they serve. This balance is essential to securing legitimacy and social acceptance.

The Central Role of Civil Society: The SOFEPADI Approach

Another critical lesson from eastern Congo lies in the central role played by civil society in making reparations meaningful in practice. Organizations such as SOFEPADI (Solidarité Féminine pour la Paix et le Développement Intégral), created in 2000 by women displaced by war in Ituri, illustrate how locally rooted initiatives can bridge the gap between victims and formal justice mechanisms. Working with women, youth, and children affected by sexual violence, SOFEPADI operates in an environment shaped by ongoing insecurity and severe resource constraints. Yet despite these challenges, its experience shows that effective victim support depends not only on funding or legal frameworks, but on deep local anchoring and sustained community presence.

A. The Karibuni wa Mama Medical Center

This approach becomes tangible through the Karibuni wa Mama Medical Center in Bunia, a center that translates the abstract promise of reparations into concrete forms of support. Here, assistance is not deferred to distant processes but delivered directly, in the form of surgery, psychological follow-up, and social reintegration kits. In contexts where trust has been deeply eroded, this proximity is essential. Survivors of violence are unlikely to confide in remote or bureaucratic institutions; they turn instead to actors who speak their language, understand cultural taboos surrounding sexual violence, and provide a space that feels safe and accessible. Local organizations carry a form of “social license” that outside actors often lack.

At the same time, the role of civil society should not be understood as a substitute for State responsibility. Rather, it fills a critical gap by providing immediate relief and support while formal reparations mechanisms are being developed. 

B. SOFEPADI’s Holistic Care Model 

1. Medical Care

SOFEPADI has developed a holistic care model that places the body and the mind at the center of reparation. Medical care is the first pillar of SOFEPADI’s holistic approach. For victims of sexual violence, a crime that has also been widely documented in Ukraine, financial compensation alone is insufficient, and at times meaningless, without immediate medical and psychological care. 

In practice, the organization of medical care by SOFEPADI reflects this priority. SOFEPADI relies mainly on its reference center, the Karibuni Wa Mama Medical Center in Bunia, and mobile clinics designed to bring medical care closer to victims in displacement camps. For example, SOFEPADI has organized clinics in the Kanyaruchinya camps in Goma and in the Thsere camp in Ituri, bringing essential services closer to populations who would otherwise remain without access to care.

At the heart lies a strict emergency protocol: the first 72 hours following a sexual assault are critical. During this window, the administration of the Post-Exposure Prophylaxis kit is an absolute priority, as it can prevent HIV infection, other sexually transmitted infections, and unwanted pregnancies. This emphasis on rapid response demonstrates that timing is a key aspect of effective reparations.  

Beyond emergency care, SOFEPADI provides specialized care for violence-related pathologies, including reconstructive surgery for traumatic fistulas (with a modern surgical suite inaugurated in Bunia three years ago). Accessibility remains a guiding principle: through mobile clinics, medical teams travel to isolated villages to offer prenatal consultations, post-rape care, and screening services, ensuring that distance and insecurity are not barriers to treatment.

Crucially, this model is built on the principle of gratuity and comprehensive support. Care is free and includes medication, vaccines, transport of victims to and from centers, housing, and sustenance during treatment.

The scale and impact of this approach are reflected in recent figures. In 2024, out of 8,624 people who received global assistance, about 1,619 received direct medical care. That same year, 1,046 survivors benefited from complete medical and psychosocial care in centers, including 467 girls and 562 women. These numbers highlight the reach of the program and the persistent magnitude of need. A victim without access to care within a 72-hour window faces a 17% risk of contracting HIV.

Taken together, these elements illustrate how a holistic, accessible, and time-sensitive model of care can transform the idea of reparation into something immediate and life-altering, well before formal compensation is ever delivered.

2. Psychological Care

This pillar follows a structured process designed to provide a secure and confidential environment from the very first contact. SOFEPADI operates listening points and dedicated Safe Spaces, where women and girls can access initial reception and individual counseling. These spaces offer a setting where survivors can safely begin to speak and be heard.

From there, detraumatization becomes a central focus. Professional psychologists organize specific sessions to help victims overcome the initial shock through close and continuous follow-up. This individual work is complemented by group activities designed to break isolation—talk groups as well as recreational and skills-based activities organized within the Safe Spaces. It is also in these spaces that some survivors learn trades such as cutting and sewing, basketry, or soap making.

When necessary, this support extends beyond the individual to the community. In particular for child rape victims, active follow-up is carried out within families to facilitate social reintegration. In 2024, SOFEPADI recorded psychological care provided to 8,624 people.

3. Legal Support 

This pillar ensures that victims who choose to pursue justice are accompanied throughout the judicial process. For those who agree to go to court, the organization provides physical and financial support throughout the penal chain. This begins with complaint assistance, working alongside Judicial Police Officers (OPJ) and prosecutors to help survivors file their complaints.

Beyond the filing stage, SOFEPADI facilitates access to legal representation through collaborations with lawyer collectives, ensuring victim representation during hearings. The organization covers legal fees, and lawyers’ costs, which are often a major obstacle. The link between medical and legal components is essential: medical certificates established by SOFEPADI doctors serve as evidence for the judicial file.

To compensate for the absence of courts in remote areas, SOFEPADI facilitates mobile hearings by moving magistrates, clerks, and lawyers directly into communities. This allows for the judging of perpetrators near the crime scene, which has a strong deterrent and educational effect on the local population. 

Yet even when judgments are secured, challenges remain. SOFEPADI continues to support victims in seeking the execution of awarded damages, a step that is often one of the most complex in the Congolese judicial system, as perpetrators themselves often live in extreme precariousness. In 2024, legal assistance was provided in 10.98% of cases, reflecting those instances where victims chose to engage in formal prosecution, an act requiring courage given the risk of retaliation.

4. Socio-economic Reintegration

This pillar aims at moving women out of economic dependence. SOFEPADI supports trade learning in sectors such as sewing, pastry-making, soap making, or agriculture, equipping beneficiaries with practical skills that can generate income.

This training is complemented by the distribution of reintegration kits. These “start-up kits”, such as sewing machines or work tools, allow women to launch their own activities. In parallel, SOFEPADI promotes access to micro-finance by encouraging the creation of Village Savings and Credit Associations, allowing women to self-finance their projects. Beyond individual initiatives, income-generating activities are also developed on a collective basis, including community fields or mills, strengthening economic solidarity among survivors.

5. School Reintegration

This pillar targets girls who are victims of violence and children born of rape. This component combines practical and social support: the payment of school fees for families who can no longer afford them, the distribution of complete school kits—including uniforms, bags, and notebooks—and psychologists working with school heads to support mediation within schools to prevent rejection or mockery. Specific support is ensured for children born of rape, monitoring them and building community awareness to ensure they are accepted and have access to equal educational opportunities. 

6. Participatory Governance: “Nothing for victims without victims” 

The SOFEPADI staff includes victims who have become survivors; most founding members are themselves women displaced by war. This should be an evaluation indicator of the credibility of a State structure implementing reparations to meet the real needs of victims. 

Conclusion and Recommendations for the Ukrainian Context

In conclusion, the experience of the DRC shows that reparation is not only a legal or financial exercise, but a complex system that must combine resources, field expertise, and long-term vision. By mobilizing seized assets while drawing on lessons learned in other contexts like in the DRC, Ukraine has the opportunity to build a more inclusive and effective reparations system. The key lies in ensuring neutral coordination, securing financial processes through digitalization, and directly involving survivors to guarantee a real, concrete, and dignified response to victims.

At the same time, repairing harm while conflict persists is a security challenge. As observed in the DRC, the security of teams and beneficiaries is paramount. In such environments, priority should be given to intangible assets, such as mental resilience, skills, and community ties, which the continuation of hostilities cannot destroy. The SOFEPADI network demonstrates that decentralization of care is the key to the system’s survival. 

Several strategic priorities emerge from this experience. Neutral coordination is essential to ensure that aid is delivered without bias in highly polarized contexts. Digital security must be prioritized to protect financial flows and prevent corruption or diversion, particularly in technologically advanced conflict settings. Decentralization through mobile units, local hubs, and strong partnerships with civil society is key to reaching displaced populations. Finally, reparations must prioritize intangible forms of recovery, recognizing that in active conflict, mental health, education, and professional skills are often the only forms of repair that cannot be physically destroyed by further hostilities.

Reparation is not just a payment; it is the act of restoring a survivor’s agency and place within their nation.

Photo attribution: “A yellow field with trees in the background” is by “Wolfgang Hasslemann”