Can football be used for peace? The African Cup of Nations (AfCON) was full of emotions and surprises, especially for the Congolese team, the Leopards. A team that used their platform at the tournament to call for peace and an end to the genocide in the Democratic Republic of Congo but were failed by Congolese leaders.
'Justice de Dieu, il y en a!'
— Chancel Mbemba
The 2024 African Cup of Nations (AfCON) was a tournament full of surprises, including a strong Congolese team that made it all the way to the semi-finals with a stellar performance. Their momentum across the tournament brought pride and joy to Congolese across the world. Through it, there were some national moments such as the captain, Chancel Mbemba’s interview response after being aggressed by the Moroccan coach.
In his diplomatic response after the match with Morocco, Mbemba said ‘Justice de Dieu, il y en a!’ This became a statement that many Congolese fans swiftly adopted. Its loose translation is ‘God’s justice, there is.’ Mbemba was trying to communicate that ‘God’s justice exists.’ The incorrect grammatical structure made it so comical that it began to trend across Congolese mainstream media and social spaces. The popularity of Mbemba’s response led to the statement being shortened to ‘Judiya.’ However, beneath the laughter at Mbemba, a deeper question really must be asked. Where is the justice?
The AfCON tournament was not only a journey of comical highlight for the Leopards, they also used the tournament and their performance to bring more awareness to the devastating genocidal violence happening in eastern Congo. The war in Congo is the deadliest since the Second World War and continues to rise. More than 7 million people have been forcibly displaced within the DRC, and the United Nations Human Rights Commission reports more than a million people are seeking asylum in other countries including Angola, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia. There is no appearance of peace on the horizon. Even while the tournament was ongoing, there was a fatal rebel attack in North Kivu. The team took several initiatives to raise awareness to this...
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