The Democratic Republic of Congo has filed an application at the International Court of Justice accusing Rwanda of violating its sovereignty and supporting armed groups on Congolese soil. The case, lodged on Monday, marks a significant escalation in the long-running tensions between the two Central African nations.
Legal documents submitted to the ICJ allege that Rwanda has provided military, logistical and financial backing to the M23 rebel group, which has been active in eastern DRC since 2021. The Congolese government claims that Rwandan support has enabled the M23 to conduct cross-border attacks and seize territory in violation of international law. Rwanda has consistently denied the allegations.
Britain has formally voiced its support for the ICJ process. A Foreign Office statement released on Tuesday said that London “fully backs the rule of law in Africa” and urged both parties to cooperate with the court. The statement added that Britain would monitor the proceedings closely and called for “de-escalation and dialogue” in the region.
The ICJ has yet to set a date for preliminary hearings. The court will first need to determine whether it has jurisdiction to hear the case, a process that could take several months. If the case proceeds, it would be the first time the DRC and Rwanda have faced each other at the ICJ since the 1990s, when a similar case was eventually settled out of court.
The filing comes amid renewed international concern over instability in eastern DRC. The United Nations has documented a rise in human rights abuses and civilian displacements in North Kivu province, where the M23 has been active. Regional mediators from the East African Community have attempted to broker a ceasefire, but fighting has continued.
For Britain, the gesture is partly about signalling continued engagement with African institutions after the post-Brexit reorientation of its foreign policy. The government has sought to position itself as a reliable partner for multilateralism, particularly in the context of the ICJ, where it is a permanent member of the UN Security Council but not a party to the Rome Statute.
Rwanda has yet to respond formally to the ICJ application. Its ambassador to the UN in Geneva told reporters on Tuesday that Kigali would “vigorously defend its position” and accused Kinshasa of using the court to divert attention from its own internal governance failures.
The case adds a legal dimension to what has been largely a diplomatic and military confrontation. Analysts suggest that the ICJ process could take years, but even the filing itself has raised the diplomatic stakes for both governments. The outcome could also influence broader perceptions of the rule of law in the Great Lakes region.
