DRC Sues Rwanda at ICJ Over Alleged Abuses in Eastern Congo

Kinshasa, June 27, 2026 — The Democratic Republic of Congo has filed a case against Rwanda before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Kigali of responsibility for decades of alleged abuses in eastern DRC.

The case was filed on June 26, 2026, in The Hague. It concerns alleged violations committed from 1996 to the present day, including massacres, forced displacement, sexual violence, torture, and other serious human rights abuses.

According to the ICJ, the DRC says the abuses were carried out by Rwandan authorities and armed groups allegedly supported or directed by Rwanda in eastern Congo.

Kinshasa is asking the Court to examine Rwanda’s alleged responsibility under several international treaties, including the Genocide Convention, the Convention Against Torture, the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

The DRC says civilians in eastern Congo have suffered for more than three decades as a result of armed operations, proxy conflicts, and repeated attacks on communities, refugee camps, villages, and towns.

The case comes amid renewed tensions between Kinshasa and Kigali over the conflict in North and South Kivu, where the M23/AFC rebellion has intensified fighting and deepened the humanitarian crisis.

DRC officials say the filing is the result of years of legal work by Congolese jurists who gathered evidence and documented alleged crimes committed on Congolese territory.

The government is asking the ICJ to declare Rwanda internationally responsible, order an end to the alleged violations, guarantee non-repetition, and award reparations to the Congolese state and victims.

Rwanda has repeatedly denied supporting armed groups in eastern DRC and has often argued that its actions are linked to security concerns near its border.

This is not the first time the DRC has taken Rwanda to the ICJ. Previous cases faced legal hurdles, including questions over the Court’s jurisdiction.

The new case will likely begin with a jurisdiction phase, where the Court will determine whether it has the authority to hear the dispute.

The filing marks a major diplomatic and legal move by Kinshasa. It places the DRC-Rwanda crisis before the world’s highest court and adds a judicial front to an already complex regional conflict.