In a visit meant to spotlight the plight of women affected by war and sexual violence, the Duchess of Edinburgh’s four-day humanitarian mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) ended on a strikingly ironic note.
On Thursday, the Duchess met President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo at the African Union Headquarters in Kinshasa to discuss the situation of women victims of sexual violence in eastern DRC.
Yet behind the diplomatic smiles and carefully worded statements, a deepening corruption scandal is threatening to unravel the very institutions meant to protect those same victims.
A damning audit by the General Inspectorate of Finances (IGF) has revealed massive financial irregularities at the National Fund for the Retirement of Victims of Human Rights Violations (FONAREV) — a state-backed entity created to support victims of war crimes and promote reconciliation.
The IGF found that FONAREV could not account for millions of dollars, including a 15 million dollar transfer to the Denise Nyakeru Foundation, led by First Lady Denise Nyakeru Tshisekedi.
According to the IGF’s official communiqué dated July 7, 2025, auditors uncovered a trail of gross irregularities and unjustified expenses, including a 4,007 percent surge in computer repair costs amounting to another 15 million dollars, all without supporting documentation.
The audit revealed that, out of a 40 million dollar mid-year budget, only 16 percent had been properly accounted for, while key victim-support programs received almost no funding.
The IGF warned FONAREV’s directors that their personal accounts could be frozen if corrective measures were not implemented immediately. Much of the blame has fallen on Director General Patrick Fata, who is now facing intense scrutiny for alleged mismanagement and collusion.
Inspectors Kupa Lusamba, Ilunga Nyembwe, and G.F. Muzeze Nzonzimbu signed the report, emphasizing failures to comply with oversight regulations established by Ordinance No. 87-323 of 1987.
The revelation that millions in humanitarian funds were diverted to the First Lady’s foundation has ignited outrage across Congo. Civil society groups, including the Congolese Accountability Network, have demanded an independent audit and the resignation of senior officials involved.
On social media, Congolese citizens voiced fury, calling it a betrayal of the nation’s most vulnerable.
Against this backdrop, the Duchess of Edinburgh’s visit — her tenth to the DRC under her role as the UK’s Champion of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda — has drawn sharp criticism for its tone-deaf optics. “It’s one thing to talk about protecting women,” a Kinshasa-based analyst noted. “It’s another to sit down with leaders accused of looting funds meant for those same women.”
The timing could hardly be worse for the Tshisekedi administration. The scandal risks eroding both domestic and international confidence in Congo’s reconciliation process, especially as donors question where their money is going.
The April 25 account freeze imposed on FONAREV was reportedly lifted within 24 hours after pressure from senior figures in the Haut-Commandement des Forces Armées, further fueling suspicions of high-level interference.
Meanwhile, the British Embassy has described the Duchess’s visit as part of efforts to promote peace, dignity, and justice for women affected by violence. Yet, in the eyes of many observers, her meeting with Tshisekedi underscores a grim paradox — international goodwill colliding with systemic corruption.
As the Duchess departs Kinshasa, questions linger about the sincerity of Congo’s leadership in addressing the very injustices they publicly condemn. With millions meant for victims now unaccounted for, the contrast could not be starker.
Government spokespersons have remained tight-lipped about the ongoing investigation. Still, for many Congolese, the message is clear: no number of royal visits or symbolic photo ops can mask the rot beneath.
Or, as one observer put it bluntly, it’s hard to talk about empowering women when the money meant for them has vanished into thin air.
