The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on June 26 filed an application to bring proceedings against Rwanda over decades of war crimes and violence perpetrated in the DRC's east. The Congolese government filed the case with the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the United Nations' principal court for disputes between states.

The DRC accused Rwanda of bearing direct responsibility for years of violations, including massacres, displacement, and atrocities in the easternmost parts of the DRC, which directly border Rwanda. The application concerns "abuses attributable to Rwanda over a period extending from 1996 to the present day," the ICJ said in a statement, confirming it had received the DRC's application to initiate proceedings.

The case comes after years of worsening tensions, with the Congolese government repeatedly accusing Rwanda of supporting armed groups operating in eastern DRC, particularly the M23 rebel group, which has seized large areas of territory in recent years. Rwanda has denied backing the group.

The DRC stated that the abuses have "primarily targeted Hutus present on Zairian, and subsequently Congolese, territory following the genocide against the Tutsi in 1994" in Rwanda. However, the filing added that other Congolese ethnic groups, including the Nyindu, Bembe, Nande, Lega, Hunde and Bashi, have also been targeted.

"The civilian populations of eastern DRC have been victims of massacres, extrajudicial executions, acts of torture, sexual violence, forced displacement, and discrimination," the Congolese government said in its statement, describing suffering amongst the locals as of an "exceptional magnitude."

The eastern DRC has been trapped in cycles of violence for decades. The region has seen a proliferation of armed groups, and civilians have often been caught between rebel forces, government troops, and foreign-backed militias. Millions of people have been displaced, while many communities have faced repeated attacks.

From JURIST, June 29. Used with permission.

Note: Last September, a report prepared by a Fact-Finding Mission of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights’(OHCHR) documented a string of atrocities in in the eastern DRC since late 2024 involving the M23 rebels, the DRC Armed Forces (FARDC), and government-allied militias such as the Wazalendo. The report found serious violations of international humanitarian law, possibly rising to the level of war crimes and crimes against humanity. (Jurist)