Drc takes Rwanda to international court over eastern conflict

One year after the Washington peace deal, fighting continues in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Kinshasa has now filed a case against Rwanda at the International Court of Justice, accusing Kigali of backing armed groups including the AFC-M23.

The legal action comes as the 27 June anniversary approaches of the agreement signed in Washington between the DRC and Rwanda. That deal was meant to end the war in the east, but clashes between the Congolese army and the Rwanda-backed AFC-M23 rebellion persist.

The United States has also imposed sanctions on several Rwandan officials accused of involvement in the illegal mineral trade from rebel-controlled areas.

Peace on paper, war on the ground

Kinshasa and Kigali had pledged to work together for peace in eastern DRC, where AFC-M23 rebels have controlled large parts of Congolese territory for over a year. But on the ground, there has been no significant progress.

“We expected things to improve after the signing – banks reopening, airports reopening. Unfortunately, we are still living the same misery,” says a resident of Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province.

Another local asks: “We wonder if the prestige the United States once had still holds. Why can’t the policies applied in the US be applied to our neighbours who are attacking us here in the DRC?” A third adds: “Nothing works. When they meet, they show good intentions, but on the ground, the war continues.”

Kigali faces sanctions and court action

The DRC accuses Rwanda of supporting armed groups responsible for serious human rights violations in the eastern part of the country for about three decades. Kinshasa has now taken the case to the International Court of Justice, demanding reparations for victims and acknowledgement of Kigali’s responsibility.

The United States has imposed sanctions on Rwanda’s Gasabo Gold refinery, its directors, and several mining companies accused of trafficking minerals from areas controlled by AFC-M23 in eastern DRC. Washington says this trade finances the rebellion. But some analysts doubt the effectiveness of these measures.

“The general perception is that these sanctions are not enough to change the strategic calculation of the actors involved. As long as the cost of confrontation remains lower than the cost of concession, the actors will maintain a status quo that works in their favour,” says Yvon Muya, conflict studies expert at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, Canada.

Risks of a new military escalation

Peace is far from returning, with gunfire exchanges nearly daily in some areas. Professor Bob Kabamba of the University of Liège in Belgium believes the belligerents are instead preparing for a new confrontation.

“This period allows each side to reorganise, rearm and prepare for what could be called the final battle – to see whether the government will reclaim territories lost to the rebellion, or whether the rebels will advance towards Katanga and put pressure on the regime in Kinshasa.”

For more than a year, the AFC-M23 rebels have occupied Goma and Bukavu, along with many other towns in North and South Kivu provinces. The fighting continues, worsening the humanitarian situation for thousands of displaced people.