France, Aug. 4 -- The Democratic Republic of Congo held a national day of remembrance this weekend for what it calls the "Genocost" - a term used to describe mass deaths linked to the exploitation of the country's natural resources.

President Felix Tshisekedi used the occasion to call on parliament to adopt a resolution recognising the violence in eastern Congo as genocide.

"I solemnly call upon both houses of parliament to examine as soon as possible the adoption of an official resolution proclaiming the recognition of genocide committed on our territory," Tshisekedi said on Saturday.

He said the deaths of thousands of civilians in the east of the country meet the legal definition of genocide under the 1948 UN convention. He also prom...