East African Court of Justice Accepts DRC's Aggression Claim Against Rwanda
11:30 31.08.2024 (Updated: 13:22 02.09.2024)
© Photo X / @EACJCourt
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The conflict between the DRC and Rwanda over the M23 rebel group centers on allegations that Rwanda supports the M23. The M23, primarily composed of Tutsi fighters, initially mutinied against the DRC's government in 2012, causing significant unrest in the eastern DRC. However, Rwanda denies DRC's accusations of backing the rebels.
The East African Court of Justice (EACJ) has accepted for consideration a lawsuit filed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) against Rwanda for aggression and war crimes in the Congolese province of North Kivu, media reported, citing Samuel Mbemba, Deputy Minister of Justice of the DRC.
"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," Okapi radio quoted him as saying. "President of the Republic Felix Tshisekedi has launched a fight against Rwanda on the military, diplomatic, and legal fronts. A working group has been created to file a corresponding claim in various international courts, including the International Criminal Court."
According to Mbemba, upon the decision of the prime minister of the DRC, he went to Arusha (Tanzania), where the EACJ is located, and demanded that the claim be considered; otherwise, he threatened to withdraw the DRC from the EACJ. As a result, the complaint was accepted.
Despite several ceasefire agreements, hostilities frequently resume, causing ongoing violence and instability. The DRC and neighboring Rwanda signed a ceasefire agreement on August 4; however, heavy fighting resumed last Sunday in the eastern region of the DRC between government forces and M23 rebels, the Congolese news portal Actualite reported, citing the army command.
