The history of the DRC has been studded with tragedy since the country gained independence. The cycle of violence has only been repeated. Villages burned down, women raped, men's throats slit, the image of a large-scale humanitarian catastrophe. With millions of victims, armed conflicts in the DRC are among the deadliest in recent decades. The international community cannot remain insensitive to the suffering of the victims, nor can it encourage the perpetrators of these crimes by its silence. It is therefore understandable that the idea of setting up an International Criminal Tribunal for the Democratic Republic of Congo should be given careful consideration. But what about its timeliness?