The Democratic Republic of Congo has taken legal action at the International Court of Justice against Rwanda, accusing it of backing armed groups such as the AFC-M23 in the eastern part of its territory.
The filing comes as 27 June marks exactly one year since Kinshasa and Kigali signed a peace agreement in Washington aimed at ending the war in eastern DRC. However, fighting continues in the region between the Congolese army and the AFC-M23 rebellion, which is backed by Rwanda.
Separately, the United States has imposed sanctions on several Rwandan officials accused of involvement in the illegal trade of minerals sourced from rebel-controlled areas.
Peace signed on paper, absent on the ground
Kinshasa and Kigali had committed to working together for the return of peace in eastern DRC, where AFC-M23 rebels have occupied vast areas of Congolese territory for over a year. But on the ground, no significant progress has been observed.
“We expected that after the signing of this agreement, things would improve, that banks would reopen, that airports would reopen. Unfortunately, we are still living the same misery,” lamented a resident of Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province.
“We wonder if the reputation the United States once had still holds today. Why can the policy applied in the United States not be applied to our neighbours who are attacking us here in the DRC?” questioned another inhabitant of the same city. Another added: “So far, nothing works. When they meet, they show good intentions, but on the ground, the war continues.”
Kigali under sanctions and legal fire
The DRC accuses Rwanda of supporting, for around three decades, armed groups responsible for serious human rights violations in the eastern part of its territory.
Kinshasa has now brought this case to the International Court of Justice. The Congolese state demands reparations for victims and recognition of Kigali’s responsibility.
For its part, the United States has just imposed sanctions on the Rwandan refinery Gasabo Gold, its leaders, and several mining companies accused of participating in the trafficking of minerals from areas controlled by the AFC-M23 in eastern DRC.
A trafficking that, according to Washington, finances the rebellion’s activities. But some analysts believe these sanctions are not effective.
“The general perception is that these sanctions do not seem sufficient to change the strategic calculation of the actors involved. As long as the cost of confrontation remains lower than the cost of concession, the actors arrange themselves in a status quo that remains attractive to them,” said Yvon Muya, a conflict studies expert at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, Canada.
Toward a new military escalation
Because peace is far from returning, with exchanges of fire almost daily in some areas.
Professor Bob Kabamba, a lecturer at the University of Liège in Belgium, believes the belligerents are instead preparing for a new confrontation.
“It is during this time that each of the two parties tries to reorganise, rearm, and prepare for what could be called the final battle to see, ultimately, whether the government side will succeed in recovering the territories conquered by the rebellion, or whether the rebellion will be able to advance toward Katanga and thus put the Kinshasa regime in difficulty.”
For more than a year, AFC-M23 rebels have occupied the cities of Goma and Bukavu, as well as several other localities in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. Clashes continue in this region, worsening the humanitarian situation for thousands of displaced people.
