Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Minister of Justice Rose Mutombo filed an International Criminal Court (ICC) complaint against Rwanda on May 23 over its alleged involvement in the theft of natural resources in the DRC. The minister charged that the Rwanda Defense Forces (RDF) have been collaborating with the M23 rebel group, which has taken control of areas in Northern Kivu province near the DRC’s border with Rwanda. The complaint accuses the “RDF-M23 coalition” of “systematic and large-scale plundering of …natural resources” in the rebels’ zone of control. There has been an open ICC investigation into eastern DRC since 2004. (Jurist, AfricaNews)
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ICC expands DRC investigation
The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced June 15 that it will open a preliminary examination into alleged war crimes in North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, following a request from the DRC government.
The ICC first opened an investigation into war crimes in the DRC in 2004, leading to three convictions. (Jurist)
HRW: M23 rebels responsible for war crimes
Human Rights Watch accused Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo of war crimes including murder and rape in a report released June 13. HRW based the accusations on reports of abuse it documented from November 2022 to March 2023, citing 8 unlawful killings and 14 cases of rape by M23 fighters, with survivors reporting incidents of gang rape involving up to five assailants.
An M23 spokesperson responded in a letter to HRW, denying the accusations. (Jurist)