Fatshimétrie revealed a significant news story last weekend, highlighting a new turning point in the dispute between Kinshasa and Kigali. Indeed, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), based in Arusha, Tanzania, announced the opening of a new trial following a complaint filed by Kinshasa.
According to the statements of the Deputy Minister of Justice and International Litigation, Samuel Mbemba, this legal action is a decisive step for the Democratic Republic of Congo. This approach aims to obtain justice in the face of the repeated aggressions suffered by the country, including the pillaging of natural resources, sexual violence and massacres perpetrated on its territory.
The opening of this trial, scheduled for February 12, 2025 in Arusha, marks a major event in relations between the two nations. Indeed, despite decades of conflict and hostilities, no judicial procedure had so far resulted in a conviction of Rwanda and its President Paul Kagame for the acts committed in the DRC.
This decision to refer the matter to the ACHPR follows a visit by the Congolese Vice-Minister to the Court, where he pleaded in favor of the DRC, a victim of Rwandan aggression, particularly in the province of North Kivu. Through this initiative, the Congolese government reaffirms its commitment to using international institutions to denounce human rights violations and obtain justice for the victims.
This legal breakthrough represents hope for the Congolese people who have been wounded by years of conflict and destabilization. It also demonstrates the determination of the Congolese authorities to defend the interests of their country and to put an end to the impunity of those responsible for the abuses committed on their territory.
Ultimately, this new trial before the ACHPR represents a historic opportunity for the DRC to finally see those responsible for its suffering held accountable and obtain redress for the wrongs inflicted on its people. A crucial step towards justice and reconciliation in a region scarred by conflict and violence.