Julien Vikemba

Julien Vikemba is a Congolese human rights defender, peacebuilder, and youth advocate committed to inclusive peace, democratic governance, and transitional justice. He is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Sote Pamoja RDC, a regional civil society organization working in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Great Lakes region to promote peacebuilding, civic accountability, anti-corruption, and survivor-centered justice. His leadership at Sote Pamoja has led to the creation of the Pamoja Fellowship, which equips young researchers and peacebuilders with technical, analytical, and leadership skills, and Ekenge, a digital civic platform that tracks legislative performance and fosters citizen oversight on justice, public finance, and security sector reform. He has also led grassroots reparations programs for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in Ituri and North Kivu provinces. Julien currently serves as the African Union Youth Ambassador for Peace for Central Africa, under the Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department, where he supports the implementation of the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) Agenda across the region. He is also a member of the Youth Advisory Council of the Dallaire Institute, contributing to global advocacy and policy on the prevention of child recruitment in armed conflict, and works with the YPS Community of Practice to support the development of National Action Plans. Julien holds a Master’s in International Criminal Law and has authored multiple publications on transitional justice, youth engagement, and post-conflict governance in Africa.