The governments of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) began legal proceedings at the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR) in Arusha, Tanzania, on February 12, 2025. The case, set to last two days, sees the DRC accusing Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebel group, which has been engaged in conflict since November 2021, allegedly violating human rights in North Kivu Province.
The lawsuit was initially filed on August 21, 2023, amid intensified M23 offensives against DRC forces. Tensions between the two neighboring nations have continued to deteriorate since then.
Rwanda has consistently denied the allegations, asserting that it has no involvement with the M23 and that the rebel fighters are Congolese nationals fighting for their rights.
Rwanda’s Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Dr. Ugirashebuja Emmanuel, criticized the case, highlighting procedural inconsistencies, including the DRC’s submission of additional evidence in 2024 without proper justification.
Dr. Ugirashebuja further alleged that in August 2024, a DRC government minister visited the AfCHPR headquarters in Arusha in an attempt to pressure judges into favoring the Congolese case. He stated, “This was reinforced by another undiplomatic move when a DRC official visited the court in August 2024, potentially attempting to intimidate its judges.”
Rwanda’s legal representative, Professor Dapo Akande, argued that the AfCHPR primarily handles individual complaints rather than state disputes and therefore lacks jurisdiction over the case. He emphasized that international law dictates that a court can only try a state for violations occurring within its own territory, which, in this instance, does not apply to Rwanda.
“We reaffirm that this case is outside the court’s jurisdiction. Any alleged violations would have taken place on foreign soil,” Prof. Akande stated.
Rwanda’s representatives further accused the DRC of using the case as a distraction from diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring lasting peace in eastern Congo. Dr. Ugirashebuja urged the court to dismiss the case outright, stating that the AfCHPR should not waste time on it.
The hearing is being conducted by a panel of 10 judges. It follows a similar lawsuit filed by the DRC against Rwanda at the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) in September 2024, which was also linked to the ongoing conflict that began in November 2021.
