The Democratic Republic of Congo has filed a case against Rwanda at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing its neighbor of bearing legal responsibility for more than three decades of violence that has devastated eastern Congo, according to the Associated Press.
In an application submitted to the U.N.'s top court, Congo accused Rwanda of violating international conventions on genocide, racial discrimination, discrimination against women and torture. It alleged that civilians in eastern Congo have been subjected to massacres, extrajudicial killings, torture, sexual violence, forced displacement, and ethnic and gender-based discrimination since the 1990s.
Kinshasa is asking the ICJ to declare Rwanda internationally responsible for the conflict, order it to end its activities in Congolese territory, provide guarantees against future violations, and pay reparations to Congo and civilian victims.
The ICJ confirmed that it had received Congo's application but did not indicate whether it had jurisdiction to hear the case.
Eastern Congo, a mineral-rich region, has endured decades of conflict involving government forces, allied militias and more than 100 armed groups, including the M23 rebel movement, which the Congolese government says is backed by Rwanda. M23 fighters seized Goma and several other strategic towns earlier this year after a rapid military offensive.
The United Nations has described the conflict in eastern Congo as "one of the most protracted, complex, serious humanitarian crises on Earth."
The violence is rooted in the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, when Hutu militants responsible for the killings fled into eastern Congo. Rwanda has repeatedly said its military actions in the region are aimed at neutralizing those armed groups and protecting its national security.
Congo and the United States, however, have accused Rwanda of using support for rebel groups as a means of securing access to the region's vast mineral resources. Rwanda has consistently denied backing M23, although U.N. experts have reported finding evidence that Rwandan troops have fought alongside and directed the rebel group.
The legal action marks Congo's third attempt to bring Rwanda before the ICJ. A case filed in 2001 was later withdrawn, while another launched in 2002 was dismissed in 2006 after the court ruled it lacked jurisdiction.
The filing comes as U.S.- and Qatar-mediated peace efforts between the two countries continue to seek a lasting settlement to the conflict. On Thursday, the United States imposed sanctions on Rwanda-based Gasabo Gold Refinery, saying it was part of a network working in coordination with M23 in eastern Congo, a move Washington said supports ongoing peace efforts.
