The Democratic Republic of Congo has filed a case at the International Court of Justice against Rwanda, accusing it of supporting armed groups, particularly the AFC-M23, in the eastern part of its territory.
This legal move comes as 27 June marks exactly one year since the DRC and Rwanda signed a peace accord in Washington to end the war in eastern Congo. However, fighting continues between the Congolese army and the AFC-M23 rebellion, which is backed by Rwanda.
The United States has also imposed sanctions on several Rwandan officials accused of involvement in the illegal trade of minerals from rebel-held areas.
Peace signed on paper, absent on the ground
Kinshasa and Kigali had pledged to work together to restore peace in eastern DRC, where AFC-M23 rebels have occupied large swaths of Congolese territory for over a year. But on the ground, no significant progress has been seen.
“We expected that after the signing of this accord, things would improve, that banks would reopen, that airports would reopen. Unfortunately, we see that we continue to live the same misery,” complains a resident of Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province.
“We wonder if this influence that the United States once had still exists today. Why can’t the policy applied in the US be applied toward our neighbours who are attacking us here in the DRC?” asks another resident of the same city. Another adds: “So far, nothing works. When they meet, they show good intentions, but on the ground the war continues.”
Kigali under fire from sanctions and justice
The DRC accuses Rwanda of having supported armed groups responsible for serious human rights violations in its eastern region for about three decades.
Kinshasa has now taken the matter to the International Court of Justice, demanding reparations for victims and recognition of Kigali’s responsibility.
The United States, for its part, has imposed sanctions on Rwanda’s Gasabo Gold refinery, its executives, and several mining companies accused of trafficking minerals from areas controlled by the AFC-M23 in eastern DRC.
Washington says this trafficking funds the rebellion. However, some analysts believe these sanctions are ineffective.
“The general perception is that these sanctions do not seem sufficient to change the strategic calculus of the actors involved. As long as the cost of confrontation remains lower than the cost of concession, actors will maintain the status quo, which remains attractive to them,” says Yvon Muya, a conflict studies expert at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, Canada.
Towards a new military escalation
Peace remains far off as gunfire exchanges are nearly 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.
“During this time, each side is trying to reorganize, rearm, and prepare for what could be called the final battle to see whether the government side will succeed in recapturing the territories conquered by the rebellion, or whether the rebellion will advance towards Katanga and thus put the Kinshasa regime in difficulty.”
For over a year, AFC-M23 rebels have occupied the cities of Goma and Bukavu, as well as several other towns in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. Fighting continues in the region, worsening the humanitarian situation for thousands of displaced people.
