The International Criminal Court (ICC) received a new complaint from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Tuesday (23 May), calling on it to focus on the alleged systematic pillaging of its natural resources in the country’s east by the Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) and the M23 rebel group.
The latest formal referral comes as the ICC already has an ongoing investigation into developments in eastern Congo since 2004 and it is not clear if the new referral would shift the court’s focus. The DRC, the European Union and UN experts have accused neighboring Rwanda of backing the Tutsi-led M23 rebels but Kigali continues to deny any involvement.
“The government of the DRC remains deeply concerned about the suffering of the populations in the part of its territory affected by the acts referred to in this case,” the DRC Justice Ministry said in a statement. The DRC government added that it expects the ICC would investigate and prosecute any person involved in human rights violations between 2022 and 2023.
The ICC has provided no details other than that its investigation focuses on alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed since July 2002 in the Ituri region and the North and South Kivu provinces. The court has convicted three Congolese militia leaders, one of war crimes, the others of war crimes and crimes against humanity for their roles in atrocities committed in the eastern DRC.
The M23 rebels launched a new offensive in eastern DRC in March last year, seizing towns and villages in the area that borders Uganda, forcing more than one million people to flee. ICC prosecutor Karim Khan is expected to visit Kinshasa and Congo’s provinces affected by rebel groups from 28-31 May.
