DR Congo files case against Rwanda at ICJ over decades of alleged ‘abuses’
✓Kinshasa takes Kigali to UN’s top court over 30 years of alleged massacres, sexual violence, and forced displacement.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is taking Rwanda to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its role in three decades of alleged “abuses” in the country’s east.
The Congolese government filed the application with the ICJ – the United Nations’s principal court for disputes between states – on Friday, accusing Kigali of bearing direct responsibility for years of massacres, displacement and atrocities in eastern DRC, which borders Rwanda.
The dispute 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 DRC’s application to start a case.
The Congolese application 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, Lega, Nande, 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 of “exceptional magnitude”.
The filing alleges that Rwandan armed forces, alongside proxy groups including the M23/AFC alliance, and Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (AFDL), have conducted unlawful military operations across eastern DRC since the 1994 Rwandan genocide. These operations have targeted refugee camps, villages, and urban centres, continuing through the First and Second Congo Wars and into the present day, it added.
M23, the most prominent of the named groups, captured the strategic Congolese cities of Goma and Bukavu in early 2025, displacing hundreds of thousands and reversing decades of fragile peace building.
The conflict has exposed the failure of recent diplomatic efforts, including a US-brokered peace deal signed in June 2025 and a subsequent Qatari-mediated ceasefire declaration, both of which have failed to halt the violence.
Rwanda has consistently denied backing M23, instead justifying its military presence in eastern DRC as self-defence against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a Hutu militia formed from remnants of the forces that perpetrated the 1994 genocide. Kigali accuses Kinshasa of harbouring the group, a claim DRC rejects.
United Nations experts and Western governments have largely accepted DRC’s position on Kigali’s role in the east, finding substantial evidence of Rwandan support for M23.
DRC is asking the ICJ to order Rwanda to cease all alleged “violations” and award full reparations to both the state and its victims.
There was no immediate response from Kigali, which has consistently denied backing any armed groups operating in DRC.
This is the third time DRC has sought ICJ action against Rwanda. A previous attempt in 2006 was dismissed after the court found it lacked jurisdiction.
Read the full story at BBC ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has filed an application with the International Court of Justice accusing Rwanda of bearing responsibility for alleged abuses across eastern DRC over nearly three decades. The filing details allegations of massacres, sexual violence, forced displacement, and extrajudicial executions primarily targeting Hutu refugees from Rwanda's 1994 genocide, as well as various Congolese ethnic groups. DRC alleges involvement by Rwandan armed forces and proxy groups including M23, which recently captured the strategic cities of Goma and Bukavu. Rwanda maintains it has not backed armed groups and justifies its military presence as defence against the FDLR, a Hutu militia. UN experts and Western governments have reported findings that support DRC's position on Rwandan involvement. DRC seeks a court order halting alleged violations and reparations for the state and victims. This represents a third attempt by DRC to pursue ICJ action against Rwanda.
Read the full story at BBC ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗
Kinshasa takes Kigali to UN’s top court over 30 years of alleged massacres, sexual violence, and forced displacement.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is taking Rwanda to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its role in three decades of alleged “abuses” in the country’s east.
The Congolese government filed the application with the ICJ – the United Nations’s principal court for disputes between states – on Friday, accusing Kigali of bearing direct responsibility for years of massacres, displacement and atrocities in eastern DRC, which borders Rwanda.
The dispute 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 DRC’s application to start a case.
The Congolese application 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, Lega, Nande, 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 of “exceptional magnitude”.
The filing alleges that Rwandan armed forces, alongside proxy groups including the M23/AFC alliance, and Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (AFDL), have conducted unlawful military operations across eastern DRC since the 1994 Rwandan genocide. These operations have targeted refugee camps, villages, and urban centres, continuing through the First and Second Congo Wars and into the present day, it added.
M23, the most prominent of the named groups, captured the strategic Congolese cities of Goma and Bukavu in early 2025, displacing hundreds of thousands and reversing decades of fragile peace building.
The conflict has exposed the failure of recent diplomatic efforts, including a US-brokered peace deal signed in June 2025 and a subsequent Qatari-mediated ceasefire declaration, both of which have failed to halt the violence.
Rwanda has consistently denied backing M23, instead justifying its military presence in eastern DRC as self-defence against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a Hutu militia formed from remnants of the forces that perpetrated the 1994 genocide. Kigali accuses Kinshasa of harbouring the group, a claim DRC rejects.
United Nations experts and Western governments have largely accepted DRC’s position on Kigali’s role in the east, finding substantial evidence of Rwandan support for M23.
DRC is asking the ICJ to order Rwanda to cease all alleged “violations” and award full reparations to both the state and its victims.
There was no immediate response from Kigali, which has consistently denied backing any armed groups operating in DRC.
This is the third time DRC has sought ICJ action against Rwanda. A previous attempt in 2006 was dismissed after the court found it lacked jurisdiction.
Read the full story at BBC ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗
The Democratic Republic of the Congo filed an application with the International Court of Justice on Friday. The application accuses Rwanda of bearing direct responsibility for abuses attributable to it from 1996 to the present day. The alleged abuses include massacres, extrajudicial executions, torture, sexual violence, forced displacement, and discrimination. The alleged abuses have primarily targeted Hutus present on Congolese territory following the 1994 Rwandan genocide, as well as other Congolese ethnic groups including Nyindu, Bembe, Lega, Nande, Hunde and Bashi. DRC's filing alleges involvement by Rwandan armed forces and proxy groups including M23, AFC, and AFDL. M23 captured Goma and Bukavu in early 2025, displacing hundreds of thousands. Recent US-brokered and Qatari-mediated peace efforts have failed to halt the violence. Rwanda denies backing M23 and justifies its military presence as self-defence against the FDLR. UN experts and Western governments have found substantial evidence of Rwandan support for M23. DRC is asking the ICJ to order Rwanda to cease alleged violations and award reparations. A previous DRC attempt to bring Rwanda to the ICJ in 2006 was dismissed due to lack of jurisdiction.
Read the full story at BBC ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗
- The Democratic Republic of the Congo filed a case at the International Court of Justice on Friday accusing Rwanda of responsibility for alleged atrocities in eastern DRC spanning from 1996 to present day.
- The alleged abuses include massacres, sexual violence, forced displacement, and extrajudicial executions targeting Hutu refugees and various Congolese ethnic groups.
- Rwanda denies backing armed groups in DRC, citing self-defence against the FDLR militia, while UN experts and Western governments have found evidence supporting DRC's claims of Rwandan support for M23.
- M23 captured major cities Goma and Bukavu in early 2025, displacing hundreds of thousands and undermining recent US and Qatari-brokered peace efforts.
- This is DRC's third attempt to bring Rwanda before the ICJ; a 2006 case was dismissed due to lack of jurisdiction.