The African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights (AfCHPR) has begun hearing a case filed by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) against Rwanda for alleged violations of the rights of Congolese in the eastern part of the country.
The case was filed in August 2023 and the African Court began its public hearings on February 12, 2025 with nine judges presiding led by the President of the Court, Imani Daud Aboud.
The DRC, represented by a team of 17 lawyers, asked the Court to hold Rwanda accountable for violations committed on its territory, to order the withdrawal of Rwandan troops from the DRC, to demand the cessation of support to the M23 rebel group, and to provide reparations for damages and victims.
One of the lawyers, Samuel Kabuya, said they decided to bring the case to the African Court because of the atrocities committed against civilians in the ongoing conflict.
"Rwanda has deliberately violated and trampled on human rights, particularly the rights of children, which are protected by many nations around the world," he told the court.
He added that more than two million people had been affected, with many killed and others suffering from diseases. He said many had been subjected to torture, rape and abuse, and that children had been forced to join the armed forces, depriving them of their right to self-determination, education, protection, food and other basic rights.
"The cause of all this is Rwanda's desire to plunder the natural resources of our country, particularly in North and South Kivu, which has even affected the city of Goma, where many people have been killed, and others displaced from their homes," he said.
"We have photographic evidence showing that Rwanda is supporting armed groups with over 3,000 members and, by January 2025, some areas have already been captured by these groups."
He urged the court to compel Rwanda to compensate the victims for the suffering and atrocities committed against them.
“We ask this honourable court to expedite the decision on this case to save the lives of people who have fled their homes and are at risk of dying from hunger, infectious diseases, and the ongoing suffering. If this is not addressed, they (Rwanda) will move their forces to other areas, and once they finish there, they will shift to other countries, knowing that no one will stop them,” Kabuya stated.
A team of eight lawyers representing Rwanda, led by the country's Minister of Justice and Attorney-General Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, argued that the DRC's claims against Rwanda were unfounded.
Mr Ugirashebuja asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing that Rwanda had already withdrawn from the protocol establishing the court.
He argued that the DRC had misunderstood the court's jurisdiction, which deals with individual complaints, not political disputes arising from conflicts.
"We ask the court to dismiss this case and not be misled into engaging in matters outside its jurisdiction as that would exceed its geographical boundaries," he said.
"The DRC’s filing of this case is misleading because, at the time of filing, we had no dispute with them, and this case appears to be an attempt to drag the court into a conflict that is not within its jurisdiction."
