On February 12, 2025, the governments of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) appeared before the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR) in Arusha, Tanzania. The two-day trial follows a complaint filed by the DRC accusing Rwanda of supporting the Movement M23 and committing human rights violations in North Kivu province.
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The DRC lodged its complaint on August 21, 2023, as M23 Movement continued to advance, seizing multiple localities and escalating tensions between the two nations.
Rwanda has consistently denied the allegations, calling them baseless and insisting it does not support M23. Kigali maintains that the group consists of Congolese citizens advocating for their rights.
Rwanda’s Minister of Justice, Dr. Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, pointed out procedural irregularities, particularly Kinshasa’s addition of new elements to the case in 2024 without proper justification.
He further alleged that in August 2024, a Congolese minister visited the Court’s headquarters in an attempt to pressure the judges into ruling in the DRC’s favor.
“This visit, along with other non-diplomatic initiatives, was likely intended to influence the judges,” Ugirashebuja stated.
Rwanda’s legal representative, Professor Dapo Akande, challenged the Court’s jurisdiction, arguing that it primarily handles cases involving individuals rather than states.
He also contended that the Court cannot rule on a country for actions committed outside its borders.
“We reaffirm that this complaint falls outside the Court’s jurisdiction. The alleged violations should have been committed on the accused country’s territory,” Akande stated.
Rwandan officials argue that the complaint aims to divert international attention and obstruct diplomatic efforts to restore peace in eastern DRC.
Minister Ugirashebuja urged the Court to dismiss the case, emphasizing that it should not receive further consideration.
This trial follows a similar legal action filed by the DRC against Rwanda at the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) in September 2024, also linked to the ongoing M23 conflict.
