The claims that Rwanda backs the M23 rebel organization are at the heart of the dispute between the DRC and Rwanda.
When the M23, which is mostly made up of Tutsi fighters, first rebelled against the DRC’s government in 2012, it caused a great deal of instability in the country’s east.
Rwanda, meanwhile, refutes the DRC’s claim that it is supporting the rebels.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) filed a lawsuit against Rwanda alleging aggression and war crimes in the Congolese province of North Kivu. The lawsuit was accepted for consideration by the East African Court of Justice (EACJ), according to media reports citing the DRC’s deputy minister of justice, Samuel Mbemba.
“The office of the East African Court of Justice announces the start of consideration of the claim on September 26, 2024, and has published a schedule of hearings,” according to Okapi radio.
“The President of the Republic, Felix Tshisekedi, has initiated military, diplomatic, and legal measures against Rwanda.” To submit a comparable claim to multiple international tribunals, such as the International Criminal Court, a working group has been established.”
According to Mbemba, he traveled to Arusha, Tanzania, the home of the EACJ, at the prime minister’s order, and he insisted that the allegation be taken into consideration, threatening to withdraw the DRC from the organization if he didn’t get his way. Consequently, the claim was approved.
Even after multiple cease-fire agreements, fighting regularly resumes, leading to continuous bloodshed and instability.
On August 4, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and its neighbor Rwanda signed a ceasefire deal. However, severe fighting between government forces and M23 rebels began last Sunday in the DRC’s eastern area, according to the army leadership quoted by the Congolese news portal Actualite.