KINSHASA, June 26, 2026 — The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has formally instituted legal proceedings against Rwanda before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing its neighbour of decades of grave violations of international law including genocide, racial discrimination, torture and crimes against women.
In an application filed on Friday, the DRC asked the United Nations’ highest judicial body to declare Rwanda internationally responsible for violating several international treaties, including the 1948 Genocide Convention, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and the Convention against Torture.
According to the DRC, civilians in the country’s eastern region have endured more than three decades of massacres, extrajudicial killings, torture, widespread sexual violence, forced displacement and ethnic discrimination.
Kinshasa alleges that following the 1994 Rwandan genocide, Rwandan armed forces, together with armed groups allegedly supported, directed, or controlled by Kigali, carried out unlawful military operations inside Congolese territory.
The DRC claims these operations targeted refugee camps, villages, and urban centres, resulting in massive civilian casualties, large-scale displacement, and widespread human suffering.
The application further accuses Rwanda of continuing these actions throughout the First and Second Congo Wars and in subsequent conflicts by backing or controlling armed groups, including the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (AFDL), the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD), the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), and the March 23 Movement/Congo River Alliance (M23/AFC).
The Congolese government is seeking a declaration that Rwanda bears international responsibility for the alleged violations an order requiring the immediate cessation of the wrongful acts, guarantees that such actions will not recur, and full reparations for both the Congolese state and victims affected by the conflict.
In its statement, the DRC said the case reflects its commitment to the peaceful settlement of international disputes, respect for international law, and the fight against impunity for serious human rights violations.
“The Democratic Republic of the Congo expresses its full confidence in the International Court of Justice and reaffirms its determination to uphold the rule of law over the use of force, secure justice for victims, and pursue a just, lasting, and accountable peace through international law,” the government said.
The filing marks one of the most significant legal actions between the two neighbouring countries, whose relations have remained strained amid ongoing insecurity in eastern Congo and repeated allegations by Kinshasa that Rwanda supports the M23 rebel movement—claims Kigali has consistently denied.
The International Court of Justice is expected to notify Rwanda of the application before setting out the next procedural steps in the case.
