The Democratic Republic of Congo has filed a case at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, accusing Rwanda of decades of military aggression and looting of its mineral wealth. The tribunal, led by British judges, will hear allegations that Rwandan forces have backed rebel groups in eastern Congo since the 1990s, fuelling a conflict that has killed millions and destabilised the region.
The Congolese government claims Rwanda has violated sovereignty and international law by supporting armed groups like the M23, which seized large areas of North Kivu province in recent months. Documents filed in court accuse Kigali of plundering diamonds, gold and coltan — a mineral essential for smartphones and electronics — enriching itself while Congolese civilians face displacement and poverty.
Lawyers for DR Congo argue that Rwandan troops have repeatedly crossed the border, committing acts of violence and controlling trade routes. They point to a 2022 UN report that concluded there was “solid evidence” of Rwandan army intervention in Congo. ‘This is not a political dispute. It is a matter of life and death for millions of our people,’ said a senior Congolese official.
Rwanda has denied the allegations, calling them a diversion from Congo’s own failures. ‘Our country has brought peace and development since the genocide. We have no interest in destabilising our neighbour,’ a Rwandan spokesperson responded.
The case is a major test for international justice. British judges on the panel face the difficult task of untangling a conflict rooted in colonial borders and ethnic tensions. For ordinary people in eastern Congo, the court proceedings offer a rare moment of hope. ‘We have been forgotten for too long. Maybe now someone will listen,’ said Marie, a mother of five living in a displacement camp near Goma.
The court is expected to issue an interim ruling within weeks, possibly ordering both sides to refrain from further violence. But for Congolese families who have lost everything, justice remains a distant promise. The human cost: over 6 million dead since 1996. The real economy of the region — agriculture, small trade, mining — has been shattered by conflict. Women and children bear the brunt, with widespread sexual violence used as a weapon of war.
This is not just about borders or resources. It is about whether international law can protect the most vulnerable. The British judges now carry that weight.
