A Congolese civil society organization is calling for a broad judicial investigation into public procurement contracts at a fund created to compensate victims of Ugandan military operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Centre de recherche en finances publiques et développement local (CREFDL) issued the call after the Justice Ministry ordered the prosecutor-general at the Court of Cassation on April 17, 2026, to open an investigation into a contract awarded to a company called DIVO SARL.

In a statement published April 23, CREFDL urged authorities to broaden the investigation beyond that single contract to cover all public procurement by the Fonds de réparation et d'indemnisation des victimes des activités illicites de l'Ouganda en RDC (FRIVAO). The organization estimated the total value of contracts it considers irregular at $34.6 million for the period 2022 to 2025. Those payments, CREFDL said, were made in violation of public procurement law and should be examined by the courts.

CREFDL's call came as Chançard Bolukola, who served as FRIVAO's national coordinator between August 2024 and July 2025, remains detained. Bolukola was arrested on July 25, 2025, and faces charges including the alleged embezzlement of funds intended for victims and breaches of public procurement rules. CREFDL said the ongoing judicial proceedings align with the recommendations set out in its civil society investigation report published in September 2025.

$195 million received, 2% paid to victims

According to that report, FRIVAO received nearly $195 million between 2022 and 2024, part of which was designated to compensate victims of the Kisangani war. CREFDL said, however, that only $2.08 million had actually been paid to victims as of October 8, 2024, representing less than 2% of the $105.1 million allocated for that purpose.

The April 23 statement listed several contested payments: $14.9 million to Congo Energy for the rehabilitation of the Tshopo power plant, $9 million to SNEL for Kisangani's electrical grid, $4 million to the ICCN for Kisangani's zoological and botanical garden, and $1.75 million to OVDA Tshopo for a peace stabilization project.

The DIVO SARL contract, which prompted the Justice Ministry's original order, also appears on CREFDL's list. It involves an advance payment of $512,000 for the production of a documentary on the GENOCOST. In its April 17 statement, the Justice Ministry cited strong indications of irregularities, including the disbursement of more than $1 million, the absence of deliverables meeting contractual standards, and alleged violations of public financial management rules.

From his cell at Makala central prison, Bolukola disputes the account that the documentary cost $1.6 million and runs only six minutes. In a handwritten letter dated April 19, 2026, and relayed by Actualite.cd, he said the contract was instead worth $640,000 before taxes and that the film runs approximately one hour and 14 minutes. He also rejected the accusations against his management of the fund.

That dispute sharpens the stakes of the judicial investigation, which will need to establish the actual amount committed, the payments made, whether deliverables meet contractual standards, and who is responsible for managing the funds intended for victims.

Boaz Kabeya